One cannot tell the full story of Connor Bedard—whose ceiling is essentially limitless—without addressing the floor.

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Tom Bedard, the proud father of the 17-year-old sensation who is expected to be selected first overall in the 2023 NHL draft by the Regina Pats, said of his son, “From the age of three on, Connor always had a ball and a hockey stick.” That’s what he appeared to be doing all the time—around the house, not on the ice.

“He used to spend hours stickhandling in our open kitchen, causing damage to the flooring.”

It wasn’t like a parent or coach recommended that these kinds of drills would be helpful. He has always been driven by himself.

Connor Bedard declared, “I tried it and I fell in love with it.” “Even now, as a child, that is all I wanted to do.”

Granted, it took some time for the fuse to light.

“I went out on the ice for the first time, just skating,” he remarked. “At first, I didn’t really like it.”

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Unexpected, but accurate.

Tom mentioned his daughter Madison and said, “Connor went to skating lessons with his sister.” “No equipment was present. He was unwilling to do it.

Ever did he?

“I fell in love with it when I got to go out by myself with pucks and everything else—just having the imagination of being creative on the ice as a kid,” Connor remarked. “Mini-sticks and other stuff were there.”

Mini getaways? No, I’m grateful.

When Connor was younger, he objected to the idea of taking the family to Disneyland. He desired to play hockey at home, you guessed it.

Tom remarked, “We did go to Hawaii once, but he had to bring his hockey stick and inline skates.”

In sunny Vancouver, there were few outdoor rinks, so inline skates were a necessary tool for the job.

The backyard net was yet another essential. Connor was also a frequent sight, shooting pucks from all possible directions. Even now, it is not uncommon for him to take hundreds of pictures in a single session.

Connor’s love for hockey was so great that he took advantage of the open ice at the North Shore Winter Club in what was ostensibly the off-season.

Tom claimed that “he’d be over there for eight hours at a time.” “He would go over there on his bike, stay until it was almost dark, and then ride home.”

It was at the same North Vancouver facility that Connor first learned about organized hockey.

Even though he played against older opponents because of his obvious talent for the sport at a young age, his talent would have been wasted if it weren’t for his family’s strong work ethic.

For example, Tom has spent his whole adult life working in the forest industry.

“I commuted for up to eight hours every day for 25 years,” he stated. “You live in North Vancouver, you have a young family, and you have to do what you have to do.

“Melanie has put in a lot more work than I have. In terms of work ethic, I haven’t encountered anyone quite like Melanie, and I’ve worked with a lot of hard workers.