HOCKEY CANADA RECAP – Dec 28 2021
2022 IIHF World Junior Championship – Edmonton, Alta.
EDMONTON, Alta. – Connor Bedard (North Vancouver, B.C./Regina, WHL) became the youngest Canadian player to score a hat trick at the IIHF World Junior Championship on Tuesday night, recording four goals during an 11-2 victory over Austria.
Bedard is just the sixth player in Team Canada history to score four goals in a game, joining Mario Lemieux (Jan. 4, 1983 vs. NOR), Simon Gagné (Jan. 2, 1999 vs. KAZ), Brayden Schenn (Dec. 29, 2010 vs. NOR), Taylor Raddysh (Dec. 29, 2016 vs. LAT) and Maxime Comtois (Dec. 26, 2018 vs. DEN).
At 16 years, five months and 12 days, Bedard surpassed Wayne Gretzky (16 years, 10 months, 28 days on Dec. 25, 1977 vs. TCH) as the youngest to record a hat trick.
- Mason McTavish (Carp, Ont./Peterborough, OHL) had two goals and one assist.
- Cole Perfetti (Whitby, Ont./Manitoba, AHL) also had three points – one goal and two helpers.
- Kent Johnson (Port Moody, B.C./University of Michigan, Big Ten) opened the scoring for Canada with a power-play goal at 5:08 of the first period. Just under a minute later, Lukas Cormier (Sainte-Marie-de-Kent, N.B./Charlottetown, QMJHL) made it 2-0.
- Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, B.C./Kamloops, WHL) made it 3-0 before Bedard would add power-play and even-strength goals to give Canada a 5-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
- Mavrik Bourque (Plessisville, Que./Shawinigan, QMJHL) also scored for Canada.
- Brett Brochu (Belle River, Ont./London, OHL) made 20 saves on 22 shots in his first start.
- Canada outshot Austria 64-22.
“It’s pretty cool to hear your name with that guy. Whenever you get that honour, it’s pretty surreal and crazy. Like I said, it’s the second game of the tournament. I’m trying not to get too high on myself. It’s definitely pretty cool to hear that. It’s only one game. I don’t think I’ll be getting 2,800 points in the NHL.”
Connor Bedard, on being the first 16-year-old to record a World Juniors hat trick since Wayne Gretzky