TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, running Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Halifax, N.S, and Moncton, N.B. Team Canada practised at the Avenir Centre in Moncton on Tuesday. 

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Connor Bedard surprised everyone with his dash up the ice in the third period on Monday night, even his own teammates.

 "I was actually laughing on the bench," said Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke. "I didn't mean to give him the puck. I cut back and he kind of just took it from me. I'm like, he'll make a good play here so feel free, and he clearly made the best play he could've made. That was pretty awesome to see."

 Bedard picked up the puck from Clarke at his own blue line and carried it all the way down the ice before going behind the Swiss net and feeding Seattle Kraken centre Shane Wright in front for a tap-in goal.

"Definitely one of the easiest ones I've ever scored," said Wright. "I wasn't really sure he'd be able to pass that one. I thought he was maybe going to throw the puck on net there. I was following up to the net to see if there was a rebound or something. It seemed like he had eyes on the back of his head there and made that play right on my tape."

Bedard saw it all along. 

"I knew he was kind of trailing me," the Regina Pats phenom said. "I go behind the net and the d-man kind of came with me a bit so I threw it there and hoped he'd be there. He did a good job going to the net."

"Connor has so many options," said Clarke. "He can drive wide. He can cut to the middle. He can shoot through them. It gives him so many plays and he's so unpredictable for the defencemen."