Bedard one point away from setting two Canadian WJC records
Published
Connor Bedard will sit alone atop the Canadian record book in multiple categories if he records one more point at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
The 17-year-old winger has 18 points through just four games at this year's tournament, tying Canada's single-tournament record with potentially three games still to play. The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft will also pass Eric Lindros for most all-time by a Canadian player in their World Junior career with his next point.
He'll have his first chance to set the records on Monday in Canada's quarter-final against Slovakia.
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Dale McCourt (1977) and Brayden Schenn (2011) both managed to record 18 points at the World Juniors and were joined atop the Canadian list by Bedard on Saturday after he posted four assists in a 5-1 over Sweden.
Canadians at the WJC - Single Tournament Scoring
| Name (Year) | All-time Rank | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dale McCourt (1977) | 9 | 10 | 18 |
| Brayden Schenn (2011) | 11 | 8 | 18 |
| Connor Bedard (2023)* | 13 | 6 | 18 |
| Wayne Gretzky (1978) | 15 | 8 | 17 |
| Mason McTavish (2022) | 17 | 8 | 17 |
| Eric Lindros (1991) | 18 | 6 | 17 |
| Dylan Cozens (2021) | 22 | 8 | 16 |
| Cody Hodgson (2009) | 24 | 5 | 16 |
*Active
After his dominant display against Sweden, Bedard also remains on pace to break the all-time record for points at a tournament – a mark that has never been close to being challenged since Peter Forsberg set it in 1993.
Forsberg's 31 points in seven games at the 1993 World Juniors is seven more than any other player has ever recorded at the annual event. Forsberg's teammate that year, Markus Naslund, is tied for the second-most points all-time at a World Juniors tournament with 24 along with Finland's Raimo Helminen, who set the record there in 1984.
With 18 points through four games, Bedard is on pace to post 13.5 points – for a total of 31.5 – through the remainder of the tournament, should Canada advance to the medal round.
Bedard is also just two points away from becoming only the seventh player in tournament history - and first in 30 years - to reach the 20-point mark. Forsberg, Naslund and Helminen are joined in that category by Robert Reichel (21 points in 1990), Vladimir Ruzicka (20 points in 1983) and Esa Keskinen (20 points in 1985).
A win over Slovakia on Monday would ensure Canada plays two more games at the tournament and keep Bedard's record chase alive.