BioSteel NHL CAMP is back, and on the ice, the present and future came together as two top Connors — Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard — put on a show on Monday.
McDavid, the 2015 first-overall pick and the top scorer in the league, skated alongside Bedard, the surefire 2023 first-overall selection and next generational talent. Both combined for a beautiful goal, showcasing their speed as they rocketed past Jamie Oleksiak to go on a 2-on-0 break. McDavid slid a great pass over to Bedard, who fired a shot top shelf.
It was quite a sight to open BioSteel NHL CAMP, which features the top 30 of the top hockey stars and prospects. The BioSteel athletes take part in off ice and on-ice training. McDavid and Bedard, as well as Stanley Cup champions Cale Makar and Nate MacKinnon, Boston Bruins forward Taylor Hall and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel are among the attendees. The stars will compete for the Ray Emery Cup to close out camp.
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McDavid led the NHL in scoring last season with 44 goals and 79 assists for 123 points in 80 games. He also dished 33 points in 16 playoff games en route to the Edmonton Oilers’ run to the Western Conference Final. The 25-year-old has 697 points in 487 games, and has hit the 100-point mark in all but two seasons — in the 2019-20 season, he got to the 97-point mark before COVID-19 ended the campaign. In his rookie year, a broken clavicle limited him to 45 games, where he had 48 points.
Bedard, meanwhile, is expected to be the next McDavid. The Western Hockey League granted Bedard exceptional player status when he was 14, and at the age of 15, he became a full-time WHL player. The 17-year-old has become a sensation in juniors and finished fourth in WHL scoring last season with 51 goals and 49 assists in just 52 games with the Regina Pats. Bedard also dazzled at World Juniors to help lead Team Canada to gold this August.