Pats’ Bedard waiting to hear his name called during NHL draft

Connor Bedard’s big day has arrived.

The Regina Pats star is expected to be the first pick in Wednesday’s NHL draft, which is to begin at 5 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The Chicago Blackhawks currently hold the No. 1 selection, and it’s unlikely they’ll trade away the pick.

If Bedard is indeed the top pick in the draft, the 17-year-old product of North Vancouver, B.C., would be the first Pats player to go first overall since Doug Wickenheiser was taken by the Montreal Canadiens at No. 1 in 1980.

If he goes No. 1 in the draft, Bedard will be the first WHL player selected first overall since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.

“I’m kind of taking things day by day,” Bedard told reporters in Nashville in advance of the draft. “If they take me, that would be unbelievable.”

Bedard has been the presumptive No. 1 pick all season, and was the top-ranked North American skater in the final pre-draft rankings.

The first player ever granted exceptional player status in the WHL, Bedard lived up to the hype in his three junior seasons with Regina.

In 134 career regular-season games with the Pats, he scored 134 goals and added 137 assists. During the 2022-23 season, he led the WHL with 71 goals and 143 points in just 57 games.

He added 10 goals and 10 assists in seven playoff games.

Bedard was named the WHL’s top player and the Canadian Hockey League’s player of the year.

He also was named the MVP of the 2023 world junior hockey championship after scoring nine goals and assisting on 14 others to help Canada win gold. He set numerous Canadian scoring records at the tournament after just two appearances.

Saskatoon-born Brayden Yager of the Moose Jaw Warriors (No. 11), Saskatoon’s Riley Heidt of the Prince George Cougars (No. 21) and Saskatoon Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk (No. 28) also were ranked in the first round in the final pre-draft rankings.

Swift Current product Kalan Lind of the Red Deer Rebels (No. 39) and Saskatoon’s Caden Price of the Kelowna Rockets (No. 47) were ranked in the second round.

Saskatoon-born Hudson Malinoski of the AJHL’s Brooks Bandits (No. 65), Blades winger Egor Sidorov (No. 81) and Clavet’s Kalem Parker of the Victoria Royals (No. 93) were ranked as potential third-rounders.

Weyburn’s Quinn Mantei of the Brandon Wheat Kings (No. 138, fifth round), the Pats’ Borya Valis (No. 152, fifth round), Saskatoon’s Noah Chadwick of the Lethbridge Hurricanes (No. 154, fifth round), Balgonie’s Matthew Perkins of the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms (No. 165, sixth round), Terrell Goldsmith of the Prince Albert Raiders (No. 180, sixth round), Martensville’s Hunter Mayo of the Rebels (No. 203, seventh round) and Blades forward Vaughn Watterodt (No. 210, seventh round) also appeared in the rankings.

The Warriors’ Jackson Unger was ranked 19th among North American-based goalies, while Weyburn-born Dylan Ernst of the Kamloops Blazers was ranked 26th.