Regina Pats phenom Connor Bedard makes history at CHL Awards
By Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press on June 3, 2023.
KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Connor Bedard made Canadian Hockey League history on Saturday. The presumed No. 1 pick of this year’s NHL draft won the CHL Top Prospect, Top Scorer, and David Branch Player of the Year awards. It’s the first time since the Top Scorer award was introduced in 1994 that a player has won all three in a single season. Bedard – set to turn 18 years old on July 17 – had 143 points (71 goals, 72 assists) in 57 regular-season games starring for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. Olen Zellweger of the Kamloops Blazers took home the CHL Defenceman of the Year award. Nominated alongside Pavel Mintyukov and Tristan Luneau, it was the first time an NHL team had three of its prospects up for the honour, all three being draft picks of the Anaheim Ducks between 2021 and 2022. Nathan Darveau of the Victoriaville Tigres claimed the Goaltender of the Year award, Dave Cameron of the Ottawa 67’s won the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year award and Maxim Massé of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens earned Rookie of the Year honours. Evan Vierling of the Barrie Colts grabbed Sportsman Player of the Year, Colby Barlow of the Owen Sound Attack earned Scholastic Player of the Year and Dalyn Wakely of the North Bay Battalion was named Humanitarian of the Year. The nominees were determined by the winner of the corresponding award presented in each member league: the WHL, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2023. 9-8
