In one of the biggest games of the year for his team, Connor Bedard delivered an outstanding performance on Wednesday.
The Regina Pats star had a goal and five assists to lead his team to a 6-3 win over the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers in WHL action.
The six-point effort tied Bedard's season high, set against the Calgary Hitmen last month.
It marked the 17-year-old Bedard's fifth straight multi-point game -- and the goal was his 52nd of the season.
The Pats entered the night tied with the Tigers and Hitmen for sixth through eighth in the Eastern Conference. The Hitmen lost to the Winnipeg Ice on Wednesday, putting the Pats in sole possession of sixth.
The top eight make the playoffs.
Bedard's assist on the second goal of the night by Sam Oremba was a thing of beauty as he blew by one Tiger before faking out two Tigers defenders to clear a passing lane.
Bedard, the WHL's leading scorer, is expected to go No. 1 overall in this year's NHL Draft.
BEDARD’S SEASON TOTALS: 43 GP, 52 G, 54 A, 106 Pts.
PATS’ RECORD: 27-24-3 (Sixth in the Eastern Conference)
UP NEXT: The Pats travel to Brandon, Man. to face the Wheat Kings on Friday night.
With Bedard the top-ranked prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft, here's a look at the current lottery odds. There will be two lottery draws where the top two picks are up for grabs. The percentages below indicate the chances of a team winning the first lottery when the top pick is in play. However, teams can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in order, so if a team outside of the bottom 11 wins the first draw, they won't get the first overall pick. Therefore, while the 32nd-ranked team has an 18.5 per cent to win the first lottery, they still have a 25.5 per cent chance to pick first overall.
* denotes a team outside of the bottom 11 that can't get the first overall pick in the lottery
• Florida's unprotected first-round pick belongs to the Montreal Canadiens
• Standings as of games ending Feb. 22
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