‘A dream come true:’ Bedard reflects on Pats career

It was a day filled with goodbyes for the Regina Pats.

The members of the WHL team cleared out their lockers Wednesday, two days after their 2022-23 campaign came to an end in a 4-1 Game 7 loss to the Saskatoon Blades.

This year, it’s not just the graduating players — Luke Bateman, Riley Ginnell and Tanner Brown — who might not ever wear a junior hockey jersey again. The team’s captain could be in the same situation.

“It’s sad no matter what,” said 17-year-old Connor Bedard, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft. “There’s always 20(-year-olds) moving on and it’s never quite the same team.

“I’m not sure of the future or anything, so (I’m) just saying my thank you’s to everyone. (I’m) not sure if I’ll be back here or not.”

Regina Pats captain Connor Bedard speaks to the media on April 12, 2023. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Bedard had 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 regular-season games this season and added 10 goals and 10 assists in seven playoff games. On Wednesday, he was named the East Division nominee for the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player.

He also had nine goals and 14 assists in the 2023 world junior hockey championship tournament in a gold-medal effort.

“No one knows who is going No. 1 (in the draft). It’s a long time until that. I think for lottery day, I will watch it as a fan. If I am fortunate to go (first), that’s awesome,” Bedard said.

“There are so many great players in the draft and I’m sure the team that gets that spot and the top pick will be looking at a bunch of guys and have a tough decision with the talent in the draft.”

While Bedard still has junior eligibility left, it will be up to the NHL club that drafts him to decide if it will send him back to the WHL or keep him.

Regina head coach John Paddock doesn’t think Bedard will return to the Pats.

“He’s not coming back. He would (fit into a NHL lineup),” Paddock said. “He will be throwing the first pitch out there and he will be kicking a soccer ball for some soccer team there. Everybody plans and knows and believes where he is going to be.”

Paddock said he could tell Bedard was special from the first time seeing him play in the WHL Hub in a shortened 2020-21 season.

“(Then-head coach Dave Struch) said, ‘What did you think?’ and I said, ‘A 15-year-old looked like a 20-year-old,’ ” Paddock said. “I told (Hockey Canada’s) Al Millar he is going to be able to play in the under-18s (as a 15-year-old). You could just see it.

“It has never changed; he has just gotten better. He was always mature with how he was brought up. He was always a hard worker.”

Bedard said one of his favourite memories from his time in Regina has been the support he has received from fans in the community.

“I’ve had so much fun these last three years here — whether there is more or not. A big thank you to the whole community and making our whole team just feel comfortable,” Bedard said.

Crowds followed Bedard throughout the past season, selling out different arenas throughout the WHL — and there was an abundance of No. 98 jerseys in the crowds.

“It’s been pretty cool. I think the first time after I got drafted (by the Pats) and seeing someone wearing a shirt or jersey or whatever, I was pretty excited,” Bedard said. “As a kid, you wear a player’s jersey and everything, so the first time seeing that was pretty awesome.

“We just had so much support from the whole city and everything. If kids are looking up to me and everything, that’s pretty special. It’s always exciting when you see that and makes you think back to when you were a kid and in those situations.”

Paddock said Bedard was the best junior player he has ever coached.

“People that have been working in the league for 43 or 44 years say there has never been anything like him,” Paddock said. “I don’t have much doubt that he is going to do it in the NHL.

“But I can’t put him ahead of (former NHL stars Teemu) Selanne, (Zdeno) Chara and (Daniel) Alfredsson when he is only 17. But the places that they are (the Hockey Hall of Fame), I won’t be alive when he goes into those places, but he will do that, I think.”

While it’s not a certainty Bedard will ever play for the Pats again, he is thankful to have spent his time in junior in Regina and a member of the Pats.

“It means a lot. It’s such a storied franchise and I take so much pride in being able to come (to the Brandt Centre) every day,” Bedard said. “I’m so grateful for everything they have given me so far and making a dream come true for me to be able to play in this league.

“There’s so much pride that comes with wearing that jersey and it has been so much fun these last three years.”

Svozil gets the call

Pats defenceman Stanislav Svozil has been called up by the Columbus Blue Jackets for the remainder of the NHL regular season.

Svozil, 20, is to make his debut Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Columbus has two regular-season games remaining.

The Blue Jackets selected Svozil in the third round (69th overall) of the 2021 NHL draft.

He finished the regular season ranked first among WHL defencemen in power-play assists (36), second in assists (67) and points per game (1.39), and third in points (78), all while playing in just 56 games.

In the playoffs, the product of Prerov, Czechia had four goals and nine assists in seven games.