Connor Bedard never has forgotten the people and players who helped get him to where he is today, including former Regina captain Logan Nijhoff.
"When I first entered the Western Hockey League as a 15-year-old (in 2020-21), you don't know what to expect," Bedard said. "For me, Logan was kind of that guy I was able to have and learn from."
Nijhoff played five seasons with the Pats, serving as captain in his final two (2020-22), at the same time Bedard was getting all the attention.
"Connor was talked about for quite a while, even in my 18-year-old season (2019-20) ... how there's this young phenom coming up the ranks and we kind of knew Regina had a possibility of getting him," Nijhoff said. "That was definitely super exciting, but I think what stood out for me was just his confidence, but I also liked how humble he was.
"I mean, if you met him on the street you wouldn't even know how good of a hockey player he is. The first time I met him, I just chatted with him and it felt like I was just talking to a buddy who didn't really play hockey. Then I remember that first practice, it was a 1-on-1 drill and he absolutely walked our 20-year-old stay-at-home defenseman who had been in the league for four years."
