Team Canada is three games into the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and the record watch is on for Connor Bedard.
The projected first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has six goals and 14 points through Canada's first three games and is on pace to break Peter Forsberg's record for points in a single tournament, should Canada reach the medal round.
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Forsberg posted 31 points in seven games at the 1993 tournament, a number that has never otherwise been close to being touched in world juniors history.
Forsberg's teammate that year, Markus Naslund, is tied for the second-most points all-time in a tournament with 24 along with Finland's Raimo Helminen, who set the record there in 1984.
Bedard is just six points away from becoming only the seventh player in tournament history to reach the 20-point mark. Forsberg, Naslund and Halminen are joined in that category by Robert Reichel (21 points in 1990), Vladimir Ruzicka (20 points in 1983) and Esa Keskinen (20 points in 1985).
The 17-year-old is also closing in on becoming the only Canadian player to ever top 18 points in a tournament. Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011) both sit at 18 for the most-ever by a Canadian.
Canadians at the WJC
| Name (Year) | All-time Rank | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dale McCourt (1977) | 9 | 10 | 18 |
| Brayden Schenn (2011) | 11 | 8 | 18 |
| Wayne Gretzky (1978) | 14 | 8 | 17 |
| Mason McTavish (2022) | 16 | 8 | 17 |
| Eric Lindros (1991) | 17 | 6 | 17 |
| Dylan Cozens (2021) | 21 | 8 | 16 |
| Cody Hodgson (2009) | 23 | 5 | 16 |
If Canada reaches the medal round, Bedard will have four more games to add to his point total at the 2023 tournament. He's currently averaging 4.66 points per game and is on pace to finish with 33 points - 32.6 to be exact - which would break the all-time record.
The all-time goals record at tournament could also be Bedard's if he keeps up his current pace. With six goals through three games, he's on pace to record 14 total for the tournament, which would top Naslund's all-time record of 13 in 1993.
Stiffer competition to come for Bedard?
After an opening upset loss to Czechia, in which Bedard was held to a single goal, the phenom feasted on Germany and Austria, totalling 13 points as Canada score 22 goals over the two wins.
However, Canada will wrap up their round-robin play on Saturday against Sweden and points will likely be harder to come by against the Group A leaders. Through three games, Sweden has scored 15 goals and allowed just two to opponents, while every other team at the tournament has allowed at least five.
For his part, Bedard has tried to keep the focus on team success over his individual achievements as they begin to pile up at the world juniors. He tied Jordan Eberle's all-time Canadian mark of 14 career goals at the men's under-20 event in Thursday's win over Austria, and his 27 total points at the world juniors are just four back of the national record held by Eric Lindros.
"I'm another player on the team," Bedard said. "We've got so many guys that are special players. I'm just here as one of the guys.
"And obviously trying to contribute."
