REGINA — Regina Pats forward Connor Bedard continues to achieve career milestones.
Last Friday the 17-year-old scored his 50th goal this season and recorded his 100th point during this campaign. It is his second straight 50 goals/100-point season. The milestones came in a 6-5 road loss to the Prince Albert Raiders. The next night the Pats fell 7-4 to the Winnipeg Ice at home. As of Sunday, the Pats are 25-24-2-1 on the season and sit seventh in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.
On Friday, Bedard recorded four points. It was the 10th time during the 2022-2023 campaign that he has had at least four points. With his two goals, Bedard achieved the 50-goal mark in 40 games. He missed tying Jock Callander by one game for the Pats’ record for reaching 50 goals the fastest. Callander, who went on to a long pro career including time in the NHL with Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, reached 50 goals by the 39-game mark in 1981-1982. When Bedard achieved 50 goals, no Pat had done so in under 50 games since Dale Derkatch accomplished the feat in 49 games in 1983-1984.
Bedard reached 100 points with an assist. He joins a list of Canadian Hockey League players with back-to-back 100-point seasons that includes Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Mike Bossy, and Vincent Lecavalier.
As of Sunday, Bedard paced the WHL with 103 points. He was 24 ahead of second place Zach Benson of the Winnipeg Ice and Logan Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers, who each had 79. Bedard also had a league-best 51 goals. He was tied for second in assists with 52.
Against the Raiders on Friday, the Pats led 3-1 after the first period. Bedard, Tanner Howe and Alexander Suzdalev, on a power play, had Regina’s goals. Brayden Dube scored for Prince Albert.
In the second period, Carter Anderson, Ryder Ritchie, and Keaton Sorensen scored in succession for the Raiders before Bedard notched his 50th goal of the season. Two Prince Albert goals as well as Bedard’s came on the power play.
The team were knotted at 4-4 going into the third. Suzdalev scored with the man advantage to make it 5-4 for Regina. The Raiders got goals from Grady Martin and Aiden Oiring to slip by the Pats.
Regina goalie Drew Sim made 25 saves on 31 shots. Max Hildebrand stopped 32 shots for Prince Albert.
The Winnipeg Ice scored five goals in the third period on Sunday to beat the Pats, 7-4, in Regina. The hosts had led 1-0 and 3-2 at the intermission.
For the Pats, rookie Brayden Barnett scored his first goal of the season. Shorthanded, Bedard scored his 51st of the season. Regina goalie Kelton Pyne made 26 saves on 32 shots.
Scoring for Winnipeg were Zack Ostapchuk (two), Matthew Savoie (two), Evan Friesen, Conor Geekie, and Connor McClennon. Daniel Hauser stopped 27 shots.
On Monday, the Lethbridge Hurricanes visit Regina. The Medicine Hat Tigers come to the Brandt Centre on Wednesday. The Pats are in Brandon Friday to take on the Wheat Kings. The team is home Saturday to play the Wheaties again
