Bedard Watch: Pats star scores 60th goal in 49th WHL game

The Regina Pats fell to the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 on Wednesday night but, once again, Connor Bedard found a way to make it memorable.

The consensus first-overall pick in the upcoming NHL Draft scored his 60th goal of the season to cut his team’s deficit to one at 8:01 of the third period. Bedard took only 49 games to reach the milestone

The last Pat to score 60 goals in one season was former Calgary Flames winger Ronald Petrovicky who did so in 1997-98.

Doug Wickenheiser, selected first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1980, holds the Pats’ record for most goals scored in one season (89) back in 1979-80.

BEDARD’S SEASON TOTALS: 49 GP, 60 G, 64 A, 124 Pts.

PATS’ RECORD: 31-26-3 (Sixth in the Eastern Conference)

UP NEXT: Bedard and the Pats will travel to Alberta to take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT.

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.

TEAM

RECORD

PTS

PTS%

FIRST LOTTERY ODDS

Anaheim

23-47-12

58

.353

18.5% (25.5% at getting first pick)

Columbus

25-48-9

59

.360

13.5%

Chicago

26-49-7

59

.360

11.5%

San Jose

22-44-16

60

.366

9.5%

Montreal

31-45-6

68

.415

8.5%

Arizona

28-40-14

70

.427

7.5%

Philadelphia

31-38-13

75

.457

6.5%

Washington

35-37-10

80

.488

6%

Detroit

35-37-10

80

.488

5%

St. Louis

37-38-7

81

.494

3.5%

Vancouver

38-37-7

83

.506

3%

*Ottawa

39-35-8

86

.524

2.5%

*Buffalo

42-33-7

91

.555

2%

*Pittsburgh

40-31-11

91

.555

1.5%

*Nashville

42-32-8

92

.561

0.5%

*Calgary

38-27-17

93

.567

0.5%

* 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 March 8