Sweden meets Canada in the final group stage match for the JVM team.
Then Tegan Jr.’s defensive qualities will be put to the test by a 17-year-old super talent.
– The hype around it is real, says NHL star Patrick Kane.
His name is Conor Bedard. The 17-year-old from Canada is a superstar in the Canadian Junior League WHL and is expected to be placed at #1 in the summer of 2023.
Striker is the big poster name for the entire JVM tournament and there is every reason for that. Bedard has scored 64 points in 28 league games this season and has already impressed the stars in the NHL.
– I trained with him and some of the best in the NHL this summer. Three-time Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks champion Patrick Kane told nhl.com that Connor was the one who stood out.
Patrick Kane: I’d be amazing
After his experience on the ice with Bedard, Kane understands why the 17-year-old is so talked about.
The hype around it is real. “I think he’s going to be a great player,” Kane said.
Bedard previously said that Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers and the big star in the entire hockey world, is a good player to ask for advice to break into the NHL.
According to nhl.com, McDavid replied that it had to do with Bedard’s belief in himself and his style of play. Which it does seem to do.
MacDavid’s words about Bedard
The Edmonton Oilers captain also talks about an on-ice workout they did together last summer.
– Then he came in a duel with Sidney Crosby (captain of the Pittsburgh team) against Kal Makar (star quarterback in Colorado). He shot himself. McDavid tells nhl.com he’s certainly not lacking in self-confidence.
Junior crowns will have to wait until January 1st before taking on Conor Bedard and Canada. Before that, they will face Austria (December 26), Germany (December 27) and the Czech Republic (December 29).
