Regina Pats’ phenom and bonafide No. 1 overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft Connor Bedard was named the 2023 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence winner.
The E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence is awarded annually to the NHL draft prospect who best exemplifies the “commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism” as selected by NHL Central Scouting at the NHL Draft.
The award is named for former NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire.
Bedard had a season for the history books, notching an astonishing 71 goals and 72 assists for 143 points in 51 regular season games. Bedard added an additional ten goals and ten assists for 20 points in 7 playoff games with the Pats. He became the first CHLer to win player of the year, top prospect and top scorer honors in one of the greatest seasons ever seen by a top prospect.
The 17-year-old captured Gold at the World Juniors with Team Canada, scoring a mind-boggling nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in seven games; he dramatically scored the overtime winner over Slovakia to send Canada to the Semi-Finals.
Bedard set a record for most points by a Canadian player at the World Juniors; his 14 assists set a single-tournament Canada record. He is just the second Canadian behind Brayden Schenn in 2011 to lead all three categories, and the fourth player ever to do so. With Bedard’s effort, he took home the MVP. Bedard snagged the IIHF’s first-ever male player of the year award.
Past winners include Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, William Eklund of the San Jose Sharks, and the entire Humboldt Broncos team that was tragically involved in a 2018 bus accident that claimed 16 lives.
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