I was one of the lucky few (OK, more like 17,000) who were able to snag a ticket to last week's Calgary Hitmen game against the Regina Pats at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The reason for the record-breaking attendance on Feb. 1 – the Hitmen typically attract 3,000 or so fans to their home games – was, of course, due to one of the players lining up on the other team: Canada's World Junior-winning star and the projected first pick in the upcoming NHL Draft, Connor Bedard.
Since Bedard's heroics for Team Canada at the World Juniors in early January, virtually every game he's played for the Pats has been in front of a sell-out crowd. People have clearly become aware the prodigy is going to be special once he's playing in the NHL, and are desperate to watch Bedard play live before the ticket price to do so is triple or quadruple what it costs to watch a WHL game.
Throughout the Hitmen game last Wednesday, oohs and ahhs went up nearly every time Bedard received the puck. The fantastic goal he scored in the first period – a sniped top-corner wrist shot from a nearly impossibly tight angle – drew as loud a cheer from the Calgary crowd as any of the Hitmen's five goals.
It's hard to fathom a kid – because at 17, that's still what Bedard is, technically – is able to single-handedly sell out arenas, but that's exactly what the North Vancouver teen has been doing for the last several weeks. Tickets have sold out for Regina's recent road games against the Red Deer Rebels, the Hitmen, Lethbridge Hurricanes, and Medicine Hat Tigers. Some of these teams even resorted to selling standing-room-only tickets.
Such is the allure of a talented young hockey player from Canada. But Bedard isn't your typical once-in-a-generation Canadian hockey talent. The numbers he's put up for Regina this season (plus his game-winning exploits for Canada last month) rival or surpass anything that even Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby produced when they were his age. The ceiling for Bedard's hockey career is ridiculously high.
Of course, being a phenom at the junior age group doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be a star once you get to the pros. It's a big step up and a lot can happen to affect that transition.
But I have little doubt Bedard is going to be a terrific addition to the NHL within the next few years. He seems to be taking his newfound stardom in stride, and doesn't show much of an ego – he assists nearly as many goals as he scores.
The next time Bedard plays at the Saddledome, it will likely be while wearing an NHL team's jersey – and I won't be surprised if the 'Dome is sold out once again when that day comes.
