Pats' Bedard nets hat trick, 11th point since return to WHL
Published
Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard scored a hat trick and recorded a pair of assists in the Pats' 7-4 win over the Saskatoon Blades on Friday night for his 11th point in two games since returning to the Western Hockey League.
The 17-year-old projected first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft scored a season-high four goals and added a pair of assists in his first game back in the WHL against the Calgary Hitman following a gold medal win for Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in Moncton, N.B.
Then, Bedard led the tournament with nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points, the fourth-most points ever recorded at a World Junior Championship. Bedard also became the new record holder of the most goals scored by a Canadian in the World Juniors, passing the mark held by Jordan Eberle.
In addition, Bedard became the leader in career points by a Canadian player, passing Eric Lindros’ record of 31 from 1990 to 1992, as well as the Canadian WJC single-tournament mark owned by Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011) at 18.
A native of North Vancouver, B.C., Bedard leads the WHL with 75 points – 13 more than Kelowna Rockets' Andrew Cristall (62) – and is currently on a 29-game point streak.