Connor Bedard sweeps Canadian Hockey League awards
Regina Pats center Connor Bedard poses for photographs with the trophies he received at the Canadian Hockey League awards ceremony in Kamloops, British Columbia, Saturday, June 3, 2023. Bedard won the CHL Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards. It's the first time since the Top Scorer award was introduced in 1994 that a player has won all three in a single season. Credit: AP/DARRYL DYCK
KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — Connor Bedard became the first player in Canadian Hockey League history to sweep the Player of the Year, Top Prospect and Top Scorer awards Saturday night at the Memorial Cup.
Expected to be selected first overall in the NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, the 17-year-old Regina Pats star had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 regular-season games in the Western Hockey League. He added 10 goals and 10 assists in a seven-game first-round playoff loss Saskatoon.
“It’s pretty exciting, for sure,” Bedard said. “There’s been a lot of cool names in the past that have won this award (player of the year). And for me, I think it’s a team celebration as well. There’s always a lot of people that you’re playing with that are helping you and I think that’s an exciting part about it.”
The draft is June 28-29 in Nashville, Tennessee. Bedard will be 18 on July 17.
On Sunday in Kamloops in the Memorial Cup final, the Seattle Thunderbirds will face the Quebec Remparts, with Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy stepping aside as coach of the Remparts after the game.
