Connor Bedard, top 2023 NHL Draft prospect, sets four Hockey Canada records in World Juniors performance
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Connor Bedard is putting on a show at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Bedard sent Canada to the semifinals with a filthy overtime goal against Slovakia on Monday and in the process put himself atop the country’s World Juniors record books.
The underdog Slovakians put a scare into the Canadians, but Bedard’s historic night helped Canada squeak into the next round. In the first period, Bedard opened the scoring and became Hockey Canada’s all-time leader in World Juniors goals with 15, but he would add one more before the night was over.
Bedard also assisted on Canada’s second goal of the night, which gave him the Hockey Canada record for assists in a single World Juniors with 13. Lucky for the Canadians, Bedard still had some more record-setting magic up his sleeve.
The teams went to overtime tied at 3-3, and that is when Bedard took the game into his own hands. He weaved his way through all three Slovakians on the ice while also deking out the goalie to end the game in stunning fashion.
With this three-point performance against Slovakia, Bedard set new Hockey Canada records for points in a single World Juniors (21) and career World Juniors points (34).
Even before this tournament, Bedard was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2023 NHL Draft, and his dominance on the world stage thus far has only solidified that status. The stage will be even bigger on Wednesday, when Canada faces the United States in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. ET.