Bedard, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters eligible presented by BioSteel, was asked about Selanne's message after his morning skate with Team Red in preparation for the 2023 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at Langley Events Centre on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN, RDS).
"That was pretty funny," Bedard said when asked about Selanne's tweet. "I saw that video this morning.
"I watched his last game (in the NHL) really closely ... that was a big one. Obviously a pretty good player and I think everyone in that game was proud of him."
Bedard (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) has 81 points (39 goals, 42 assists) in 32 straight games with Regina of the Western Hockey League after not getting a point in its season opener Sept. 23.
The longest point streak in WHL history is held by forward Jeff Nelson of Prince Albert in 1990-91 (56 games, 108 points). The longest streak by a Regina player is 47 games, shared by teammates Wally Schreiber (99 points) and Jock Callander (141 points) in 1981-82.
Bedard, a 17-year-old right-shot center, said he doesn't pay much attention to the NHL standings and which teams may have the highest odds in selecting him at the 2023 draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
The first round will be June 28 and Rounds 2-7 will be June 29. The NHL Draft Lottery to determine the first 16 picks in the draft will be held in April.
"No, I haven't looked at [the standings]," he said. "I still got a lot of games left to prove myself. I'm not focused on what's going on to too much. I'm a fan of the game and I watch a lot of hockey, but in terms of that, I don't focus on it too much.
"I think if you're able to get drafted into the NHL, I'll be pretty stoked no matter where it is. If that opportunity comes to me, I'll be thrilled wherever that is."
Bedard, born and raised in nearby North Vancouver, also has had an opportunity to rub shoulders with another Hockey Hall of Fame forward, center Henrik Sedin, during the event this week that spotlights the top players from the Canadian Hockey League. Sedin is serving as an honorary coach for Team Red. Daniel Sedin is an honorary coach for Team White.
"I mean, to have a conversation with him ... him and his brother were the guys in Vancouver for a number of years so for me being from here, being a big Canucks fan, it was really cool to finally be able to meet him and talk to him a little bit," Bedard said. "I was kind of fanboy a little bit, telling him how big of a fan I was but it was cool."
Henrik Sedin said, "Just to be around [Bedard]; he's professional, seems like a great person, down to earth and he works hard. He has all the attributes that you need to get to the next level and that's not only on the ice, but also off the ice."
In five games with Regina since his return from the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Bedard has 17 points (12 goals, five assists). He led all players at the 2023 IIHF WJC with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) and was named the tournament's top forward and most valuable player, helping Canada win a second straight gold medal.
"I obviously have a passion for hockey," Bedard said. "It's fun when you get those opportunities to play World Juniors and those were some of my dreams as a kid so to be able to have a few of those has been special and it's been a lot a lot of fun on the ride so far, but I have a lot of work to do."
