The Connor Bedard show at the 2022-23 World Junior Hockey Championships came to a predictable end on Thursday night — Canada won the gold medal, and the 17-year-old sensation was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
It should come as no shock to anyone, as the name ‘Connor Bedard’ was basically synonymous with this year’s competition. It seemed as though every period he played a new dazzling highlight was produced, and every game a new record was broken.
But just how many records did he break with his stunning performance in Eastern Canada? Let’s take a look, shall we?
With 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in seven games at this year’s world junior tournament, Bedard set a new Canadian record for points in a single tournament passing both Dale McCourt (1977) and Braden Schenn who both had 18.
His 14 assists also set another single tournament Canadian record for assists in a tournament.
Incredibly, the Regina Pat’s centre did all of this at just 17, also passing Jaromir Jagr for points at a tournament by a player aged 18 or younger.
Peter Forsberg holds the top overall mark in tournament history, putting up an incredible 31 points in 1993.
Bedard has also inked his name all over Canada’s record book in terms of world junior career numbers, putting up 36 points over 16 tournament games (Note: this point total includes the two games at the cancelled 2021-22 tournament). He passed Eric Lindros who had 31 total in 21 career games. Bedard was able to break his record in just 14 games.
The presumptive top pick in the 2023 NHL draft also passed Jordan Eberle for goals (14) at the world juniors, scoring 16 of his own.
The biggest goal of his career for the Red and White was without a doubt his Herculian effort in overtime to give Canada the sudden-death win over Slovakia, sending them to the semis.
With many expecting this to be Bedard’s final appearance for Canada on this stage, no one can question his ability to perform on the international stage, not with his name etched in Canadian history.
But all the individual feats and recognition sure would’ve seemed empty to the young phenom if he hadn’t helped his team to back-to-back gold medals, the 20th tournament victory in Canadian history.
“We didn’t come here to make finals,” Bedard said after Canada’s semi-final win over the United States on Wednesday. “We came here to win.”
And win they did, thanks in large part to Bedard’s sensational performance over the past two weeks.
