Connor Bedard will have an opportunity to finally experience playoff hockey, something he's never done until now in his three seasons with Regina of the Western Hockey League.
Regina, making its first postseason appearance since 2018, will play the opening two games of its best-of-7 series at Saskatoon on Friday and Sunday.
"We had shirts made up with the saying, 'Against All Odds' on the back," Bedard said Tuesday. "It's just something the guys liked. We weren't the highest seed, so we want to prove people wrong and try to win as many games as we can. I'm super pumped. Obviously last year was upsetting not being able to get in and we were so close, so all the guys that came back really wanted this and for us to get in, it's awesome."
Regina split a two-game set at Saskatoon on March 19 (4-2 win) and March 24 (3-2 loss).
"I just think one mistake can change the outcome of the game, so for us knowing that and knowing kind of the stakes in every game because you never know if that one play will cost you," Bedard said. "In the end, it's still hockey and we're going to prepare like we did all year with extra emphasis on Saskatoon."
Bedard (5-foot-10, 185 pounds), the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, was the recipient of five of the 10 team awards presented prior to Regina's 5-3 loss to Prince Albert in the regular-season finale March 25.
Player of the Year:The 17-year-old led the WHL in goals (71), points (143), shots on goal (360), points per game (2.51) and goals per game (1.24) in 57 games. He led the Pats in plus/minus rating (plus-39), face-off winning percentage (53.6) and power-play points (45) and tied for the longest point streak in the WHL this season, scoring 90 points (44 goals, 46 assists) in a 35-game point streak from Sept. 24, 2022 to Feb. 1, 2023. He tied Rob Brown (Kamloops, 1985-86) for the highest points per-game by a 17-year-old in WHL history and had the third most goals and points by a player 17-or-younger in league history.
