He's already got the typical hockey player answers perfected.

It's an honor to play in the NHL at all and a humble kid knows it. Winners are humble and recognize it's a team game.

What Bedard says here is a far cry from what Shane Wright said last season where he essentially said that he "deserved" to go #1, then didn't.

Bedard is such a great guy. Someone I know is the mental health coach for the World Juniors Canadian team and he told me and a lot of others that Bedard after the "party" they held for winning Bedard stayed behind after everyone. He cleaned up the mess and tucked in all the chairs. Absolute class.

I love this kid man. A generational talent that is more focused on the team he plays for than himself, he would be such a boost to any team in the locker room and I’d be shocked if he didn’t wear a “c” on his jersey at some point in the NHL. Can’t wait to follow his career regardless of where he ends up

I thought the same thing “ the interview when he said “ I don’t want to talk about me now “ . I must say when I hear this kid give interviews, I am impressed with how he handles all this at such a young age . That’s a testament on how he was raised !!!! Good job mom and dad !!👏👏👏👏

He plays great offense and both sacrifice himself for defensive plays and stay humble enough to talk about the team first. He is like a mature young Crosby already mentality wise, can't wait to see him in NHL hopefully injury free

I love the way he handled the media....not giving in to their stupid questioning and drama. Kudos to him. He played it very well.

He's not "media-trained" -- he's "well-raised".. look at how his parents speak about him.. enough said!

Reminds me of when Sidney Crosby and Jack Johnson were talking about the draft the following day and Crosby phrased his take on it as "If I get drafted..." If. As if he wasn't obviously going number 1. Just a humble thing to say and so indicative of great character in a hockey player. Bedard reminds me of Sid in that way for sure.

Bedard is not media trained even though you chose to say that about him. Base on his response to interviews it is a clear showing of his upbringing! Humble, appreciative and hard working!

Ending was funny just the look on Hank face 😂😂😂

Best answer I've heard since Seider called the Calder buzz a "useless distraction."

Lmao. The lady at the end, tho.

You also got to keep in mind he's an athlete that knows he hasn't played in a single NHL game and knows that he has to perform in the NHL to get the respect from the best players in the world. At this point in time I'm sure all of his focus is about performing and being able to play successfully in the NHL.

I was at the Pats Vs. Hurricanes game recently, and you could feel the entire stadium tense up every time Connor picked up the puck. It was nuts.

Obviously the kid is aware of where he shapes up for his potential future, but it is good to hear him stay patient and humble even if it’s blatantly obvious that what he says isn’t really what he thinks, especially from all the media attention he gets, i can’t imagine it’s been so easy for him the past few years.

This kid is a humble canadian, like crosby class act . Keep being humble

Man I love this guy, the media storm is absolutely crazy, and you can tell it’s obvs getting to him, but he’s maintaining such a good mentality and it’s like, great to see and heartbreaking to see the pains that come with sensationalizing these young players! Imagine if the world hadn’t heard of Bedard until the entry draft, woulda been insane I feel like there’s many examples of the media circus derailing otherwise brilliant hockey players by creating expectations that must get to your head when you idolize people and hope that one day you’d hold a flame against, only to have the media goad you as the next best hockey player before you’ve laced em up in the big league

gary buttman says no teams tank for a pick, he also says fans just love the digital overlay advertising on TV that sometimes appears over the players

I think Shane Wright slipped from 1st to 4th because of his attitude. We've seen more frequently in recent years that having a talented player with a big head or shitty attitude will hurt you team overall. Berdard doesn't give that off in anyway. So he'll go no 1

Jennifer at the end 😂😂

I'm hoping the Wings gets the #1 pick, he would be a great fit on our team!

After guys like Debrincat, Point, Caufield, I have no idea why a GM would discriminate on size. Just draft the best player.

as a fan of team Finland, I'm super envy that Bedard with THAT skill set and amazing humble working attitude towards hockey.... ...is gonna play fo team Canada... IF NHL let him... :-) only question here is WHEN he makes NHL debut.... and which team reserves him.... not about does he make it to NHL....

He's fucking 17 and giving polished, poised, professional level answers to tricky questions like this. Speaks a lot to his coaching with the media, but also the selflessness (after the world juniors) & self awareness at the same time. He's only gonna get better in all aspects of the game, including in front of the camera. It's impossible that he falls from #1 overall. There's multiple other guys who would be very valuable and highly sought after prospective #1 overall picks at the top of this class, but Bedard stands out time and again because so much of his game is so polished, refined, and professional grade already. And like you called out, I do think he makes his impact as a winger in the NHL over being a pivot. He's got so many tools that should play at the top levels of the NHL, it's hard to limit the projection on him 5-10 years down the road.

I wish him the best, seems like a humble and nice guy. But unfortunately, we've seen time and time again players like this not being the same in the NHL. The players in the NHL are used to playing against McDavid, Draisaitl, Crosby, Pasta, Makar, MacKinnon... Of course I hope he flourishes because who wouldn't want to see another McDavid, but the players he is playing against now and the players he will play against in the NHL are not at all on the same level.

Can't wait to see this guy play in the pros, whichever team he ends up on, he'll do fine with that attitude.

The only problem I see is the media is not listening and this channel is not listening. Every year they put so much pressure on a young man. Let them enjoy themselves to become the players they might be. Other possible number one's in the past didn't turn out as great as media made rhem out to be. Hope everything works out for Connor Bedard he is a terrific young man.

I’m from Vancouver. We’ve never had the first pick and we’ve been a team since 1970. This kid grew up in north van. It’s legit one bridge outside of downtown man if there was any year the gods could possibly grant us a guy. It’s this year. We need Bedsy

Dude is the real deal both on and off the ice.

"They" have compared many others to generational stars in the past. I get the hype, but can't we wait until he touches NHL ice before calling him the next McDavid, Crosby?

i am watching your old videos because they are so good.

Wise beyond his years. Very classy young man who I look forward to watching in the coming years!

I don't really consider Bedare "media trained." I live in Regina. I've met him on a few occasions, I've seen him interact with people when cameras are around and when they aren't. He seems like just a genuinely nice, humble, good kid.

The NHL should implement a rule going forward where the 3rd to last team gets the best odds for the number 1 pick, then the second to last, then the last place team gets odds better than the 4th to last. This would ensure teams aren’t deliberate tanking.

Bedard has obviously been well coached in how to respond to reporter's questions. He MIGHT be the next great NHL'er or he might not, only time will tell, but he's smart to not get too confident about being #1 after what happened to Shane Wright last year. I wish the kid good luck in who chooses him and hope he doesn't spend his career with a dud of a team.

I can’t wait for him to get into the league. I know for me it will be like with mcdavid where I won’t miss a game he plays regardless of what team he goes too!

Love it, he’s humble and Nice!

I wouldn't call him 'media trained', this is just HIM and the way he is. Best of luck to him, one lucky SOB of a NHL club will get him!

humilty, this guy is going straight to the hall of fame.

Seattle has two of the best goalies in the CHL. Saskatoon has two of the best goalies in the CHL. Bedard is a player where, in his last 3 games, he has 2 hat tricks, 8 goals, and 6 assists. If he failed to get a single point in the last few games, he'd still finish with the most goals and the most points, by a fair margin. But he's also playing on a Pats team that probably isn't good enough to win more than 1 game in the first round. Because even with those stats lines, 4 games ago, they lost 7-0. His line is great because he's on it. But Winnipeg has two lines like that. Red Deer has playoff experience. Running up the scoreboard when playing teams like Edmonton isn't a great indication that Bedard will be a great NHL player. Ray Ferraro and current Wild head coach Dean Evason (who did nothing in the NHL) both far surpassed what Bedard has done as WHL players. And you can say "guys scored more then" and I'll point to multiple times this season where teams scored 8-10 goals, hell 11 just this month. He takes charge. With his defense playing well and their goalies on point, they could beat some of the teams that they might face in the playoffs. But their draw is going to be Red Deer or Winnipeg, who haven't lost as many games COMBINED as Regina has on their own. The only way to know if Bedard is truly NHL ready, and I'm being serious, is to play the game. Again, he's had some huge games and he's only 17, so the sky is the limit. But if you were to ask me whether he should jump straight to the NHL next season, I'd say, let's see what 10-15 games looks like. He's not good enough defensively (aside from drawing penalties) to say he'd dominate from the outset, and a singular offensive player isn't going to change a team. Matthews has Marner. McDavid has Draisatl. Kucherov has Stamkos. The only guy putting up big numbers in the NHL without a truly consistent point man (recently) is Ovechkin. And let's be blunt: the best offensive 30+ year old player in NHL history isn't a great comparison to a 17 year old, playing hockey in a fairly weak WHL Eastern Conference. Hell, it's not great, because Bedard has Svozil, Howe, and Suzdalev. And while we can make the comparison to Gretzky, he also had a pretty instant chemistry on the Oilers. At the CHL All Star game, he didn't seem to mesh with some of the guys. So.. 10-15 games, see how it goes. He's 18 in July. One more year in Regina wouldn't kill him. Would I pick him first? I'd watch the playoffs and see how he does with facing elite teams on a constant basis and go from there. If we're being truthful, the next three weeks are the biggest of his life so far. Cause he's not playing with a host of superstars that can win without him. He's playing with a half decent team that really only gets this far when he carries them. This is the test. Can he make a pretty average team great, or is he only capable of shining with other bright lights around him? It's international pressure and how he responds is a critical step in whether he's first or first round.

I don't believe he's media trained. He's just a confident, humble Canadian boy.

Best possible answer actually. Playing in the big leagues (NHL in this case) is a privilege.

We saw it with Shane Wright but any chance Bedard doesn't go first?

He's a leader in the making! Connor has a very bright head on his shoulders. Stay humble, but at the same time take the credit when credit is due and when there is time for it. This kid will go far with this mentality alone.

Man he probably gets these kind of questions all the time and he’s like chill

Actually the big knock on Bedard is his own zone play and his effort level. He also does not back-check at an elite level, not even close. That being said, he is a generational offensive talent and there is zero to complain about on that side of the puck. I think he has a long way to go yet, but if he is open to doing all the things that make a player a true generation talent sky is the limit. Definitely the #1 pick and definitely way more likeable than Shane Wright.

Was looking at the betting odds to see how much of a longshot someone would be to take the number one spot over Bedard.. There isn't even a betting line for it.

Would Michkov be talked about like this if he was given the chance to play at the World Juniors?

He may be the first person I see reach 100 points while having exactly 50 goals and 50 assists

Bruh, this reply should literally terrify everyone who will be playing against him in the future. He’s literally a hockey robot

The only scenario in which he doesn't go first overall (barring serious injury) is where the team that has the #1 pick makes a deal with the team at #2 for an absolute haul of picks, prospects, and NHL players in return for picking someone else at #1. Even then it's extremely unlikely, but the logic there would be to have multiple elite players instead of one generational player. As you mentioned, the fanbase of the team that decided to do that would probably just let that team play to empty seats. Bedard is by no means a "can't miss guaranteed franchise player" that will turn a team around and guarantee success, but the likelihood is high enough that it would be an extremely questionable move at best to pass on him. It would be difficult to justify to management and players let alone fans. If a team takes him and he's not the next McDavid, nobody is going to fault that team for taking him.

The kid has clearly been well coached

About the only thing that would prevent him from going #1 would be if he were to suffer a catastrophic injury. I don't see him doing anything off the ice that would result in a free fall. But hey, you never know and can never say never, not in today's wild and crazy world.

Comparing him to McDavid based on a stats sheet is bananas. First and foremost, if the tag line is that Bedard is the real deal and can take your team all the way like McDavid... McDavid hasn't been able to do anything even close. Second, they played at different times, on different teams, with different players, against different players, for different coaches, in different systems. Third, there's no telling how the move up to the NHL will affect any given player. Bedard could be the next Gretzky (breaks record after record and has multiple cup wins), the next Puljujarvi (full of potential but falls flat), or anywhere in between. Sure, they hype is real and it's deserving to a degree. The kid looks good amongst his peers. The NHL will be a much larger, faster, and grittier group of peers. The humility will serve him well. It'll be fun to watch him come up!

I think a lot of it is just him learning from Shane Wright's mistakes from last year.

He is playing in the beat Junior League I. The world lighting it up … the answer he gave 100% makes him the top pick … he is going to be 1 and a generational talent … the team that gets him will be in for a good one

I remember when we (NJD) selected Nico Hischier 1st when everyone expected Nolan Patrick to go 1st. It worked out pretty great for us... not saying this is what's gonna happen here, but going 1st or second or 30th doesn't really matter. Talent, mentality, hard work - you'll get your chance. Plus, being 1st doesn't really get you anything but pressure, it's management thing. Hope he turns out great though and not get gobbled up by bigger guys. It took Jack several years to get there, he's gonna be faster but still.

That's exactly the reason why I think wright dropped is because he was too cocky,and was the opposite of what bedard said saying he "deserves to go 1st"

Incredibly mature answer

The thing that just baffles me about Bedard is how wimpy or almost bow shaped flex he has on his twig. Crosby uses a 100, McDavid a 85. Taylor Hall uses a 70, Kessel & Gallagher a 65, Gaudreau a 55. Bedard uses a 70, but it gets "wish boned" way more than anyone else. For his size, or frame, he gets some crazy a#% torque on it.

It looks like he’s reading off a script😂😂

how do people not realize these answers are not how he feels but instead how he knows he should answer. im living in a world full of idiots

Hopefully he keeps the humility. The one thing I really like a Conor McDavid. I am not an oiler span but he is pretty humble for the amount of skill he has

Seems like a very humble kid.

he understands one thing.. it is the name on the front of the jersey that is important not the one on the back . Keep up the hard work

He’s right to think that way

That was the best answer...he wants to focus on his team and game. Also, let's be real...going first overall isn't all it's hyped to be. Some of the greatest didn't go first.

Imagine how good he'll be once he hits puberty!

I see this as the same thing happening to McDavid. World class talent no doubt. He is worth every penny asked. And you pay it of course. The downside to being so good you ask? Now that you pay him(2nd contract) you cant afford to surround him with talent he needs. Look at Edmonton, its a one man show. And he brings it every night. Im still waiting on him to ask for a trade. They cant afford anyone else to help. Rinse, Repeat.

"Beautiful Canadian Boy" - Don Cherry.

Man I can’t wait to see this kid join the NHL!

No chance Bedard doesn't go first, that being said the next top 3 or 4 are pretty damn good consolation prizes if you dont get him. The top of this draft class is the most promising we've seen in a while. Cant wait to see these guys tear it up at the NHL level.

Yeah let's fix that headline. CB knows how to keep his perspective right.

If I'm going to be stuck in Columbus I might have to start a WorldStarHipHop video of me brandishing a weapon just to save my career but boy is that kid humble and trying to set the bar a bit lower from everyone else's expectations.

Where ever he lands he will do great things. Amazing watching him play and how unselfish of a person he is both on and off the ice.

I love his attitude.

McDavid in his first NHL camp: “If I make the team…”

Imagine he said “yeah I’m the best, can’t wait to see who’s drafting first” 😂

No way he wants to go to the blue jackets 😂😂

It’ll be cool to see him in a #98 jersey-I don’t think anybody’s worn that number, not that I can remember anyway!

Gotta remember when the hockey world shit on Sakic for selecting Nathan MacKinnon 1st overall and NOT the heavily favored Seth Jones ... Not only because the hype was a guaranteed number 1 pick being Seth Jones , but because at the time the Avalanche had a good goalie In Varlamov and Giggy .. They had superstar forwards the likes of , Landeskog , O'Reilly , Stastny , Duchene... but were lacking in Defense .. and Sakic selects another Foraward !! Even us Avalanche fans were like WTF ! we need Defense ... well as we say in Avs nation "In Sakic we Trust 1" and I think he made a preeetty good selection .

Of course he'll be #1 & he will definitely be a centreman! His distribution of the puck is excellent. He has all of the tools. Crosby is not much taller & the issue of him not being a centre due to his size, never came into question & it won't for Bedard either. If he lives up to expectations and he will, he will decide which position he plays.

HUmility...got to love it. Not enough of it in today's day...

How can he say that with a straight face? 1. hes got a good agent whos coached him on what to say 2. Hes smart enough to act humble

The only non-morbid way he doesn’t go #1 is if the Flyers get the pick and Hextall drafts Taro Tsujimoto Jr.

I find it interesting that we’re concerned with his size. He’s literally the same size as Crosby.

As a Ducks fan I would love to see him and Zegras together. Would be a crazy duo!

Man... 5 foot 11 is considered on the small side. Have even more respect for Paul Kariya and Theoren Fleury than ever.

love how humble he is but let’s be real, he knows he’s going 1

Interesting comments here regarding the comparisons to Crosby, whom, for some reason (if you read Twitter comments) everybody loves to hate. But here the comparisons are nothing but allusions to greatness: "all class"; "2-way player"; "respect for the game". One, it proves Crosby is actually loved more than people let on (when the conversation is solely about Sid), and two, this kid is probably the real deal like Sid too.

I honestly don’t think it’s a matter of being very well trained when dealing with media I genuinely believe he is that humble

Bedard - Suzuki - Caufield

Shane Wright was also expected to go 1st overall for years, so you never know

Crosby is 5'11 and he is doing just fine as a center

Bros has had to many conversations in NHL 2023💀💀💀💀💀💀

Fail for Nail (Yakupov) - worked out just fine.

Bedard is going to win so many cups. His mentality is KEY

im not super high on him at the next level but i love the kid as a person, i think hes going to play 1000 games and score 1000 points.