Den highlight Connor Bedard had saved for the last third. That was on Tuesday, in a friendly against Switzerland. Canada’s U-20 side were leading 5-0 when Bedard ran wide on the right. And when everyone thought he was going to run around and come up the other side, he just played the puck behind his back without looking at fellow player Shane Wright, who just had to zero in. What followed was the usual: cheering fans, amazed reporters, excitement on social media.
This is how things should continue when the U-20 World Cup begins in Canada on Boxing Day. Then this 17-year-old Connor Bedard should enchant the ice hockey world. And he should give back the fun of meeting the best junior players to the fans in the motherland of the sport. It had recently been lost: last year the World Cup was canceled due to corona outbreaks, and the tournament that was made up for in August was overshadowed by the disclosure of the abuse scandal at an association event in 2018. Politics and the judiciary got involved, the grandstands remained empty, and the Board of Directors of Hockey Canada resigned. While investigations are still ongoing, Canadian fans appear poised to enjoy the World Cup again. One reason: Bedard – the world’s greatest ice hockey talent for years.
