Misleading.
Matthew Savoie was close, still played in some games and look what happened to him:
15-year-old knocked out by huge open-ice hit in the WHL | TradeRumours.com
C Connor Bedard - Regina Pats, WHL (2023 Draft)
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Misleading.
Matthew Savoie was close, still played in some games and look what happened to him:
15-year-old knocked out by huge open-ice hit in the WHL | TradeRumours.com
Then why didnt McDavid, Veleno, Tavares and all the other exceptional status players get knocked out too? Why was Savoie the only 15 year old to get knocked out yet plenty of 15 year olds play under similar circumstances across the nation every single season and don't get knocked out? Seems pretty reactionary.
I know what happened to him. He was also not granted exceptional player status.
Tavares, Ekblad, Day, Mcdavid, Veleno, Wright never got knocked out. Bedard will be fine
Savoie applied and is highly touted. Trying to act like he's a scrub with no hockey sense and not even close to Bedard (Savoie owned Connor head to head) is not painting an accurate picture.
It's all the same elements in play as Bedard. A hugely skilled 15 year old gets thrown into the den against a bunch jealous guys who want to teach the kid a lesson. And they almost killed him. And not one of his teammates even stood up for him. Why do you suppose that was? It's not unique to Savoie. It's because players have a huge chip on their shoulders against 15 year olds who think they're so "exceptional" and are getting opportunities that they never got. Opponents or teammates, they hate them.
If you don't think that most of the guys in the WHL right now frigging hate Connor's guts right now for the simple fact that TSN are doing interviews with him at 14 years old than you're not paying attention.
They're coming for him. He's an awesome talent/prospect. Nobody is looking out for his health. I fear for him.
John McFarland applied and was highly touted too. I can tell you that nobody in the dub is taking it personal that he was on TSN. I can also promise you that they arent “coming for him”. This isnt 1970
What year do you think it is? These kids arent head hunting anyone. It's not 1980 anymore. Savoie got finished on a very typical open ice check that caught him high. There's 19 year olds that get checked like that. Is it because the opposing player is jealous they are finished high school?
Please STOP. You sound ridiculous!
And oh yeah..Shane Wright -and his 39 goals-says hi.
You're being very naive. Yes there are lots of players in the W that have a grudge against a 14 year old prodigy that is being interviewed on TSN while they are sliding towards hockey oblivion. They are absolutely coming for him. Btw, the WHL is not the Q or even the OHL. It's vicious and exceptional status doesn't usually happen in WHL.
Connor Bedard is awesome. But look at him. His interview with TSN or the signing with the Pats. Yes he's immensely talented, he follows the Crosby model of living and breathing and training hockey. But physically? He's a young boy. And now they're throwing him out there against angry, jealous young men. It's like seeing a car wreck coming and some of you are sitting back ignoring what is about to happen.
When Bedard is unconscious next year, are you going to come back and post "Whoops, I was wrong, sorry!"? Nobody is thinking what is right for the young kid. It's all about money. From the WHL, the Pats and his parents.
I agree with you on this point! This is a well known fact that has been happening for decades. Because players and agents and teams know it will be used against them, they have been fudging about height and weight for a long time. There's thousands of stories like yours of regular people meeting NHL players and them being the same height or shorter, yet their official height is listed 2 or 3 inches taller.
Only thing you can truly trust is draft combine heights. They measure players in front of everyone without shoes on.
landy92mack29
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It's truly amazing how out to lunch you are, not even sure if it's even worth responding to you but here we are. Every year 15 years olds his size or smaller play 10+ games in hard hitting playoff hockey and are fine. Dante Hannoun and Kyle Crnkovic have been fine and neither of them are over 5'6 160. No players aren't going to be trying to hurt him anymore than they would any other player. His parents aren't getting any money other than schooling being payed for and until he makes the NHL they won't see anything other than maybe sponsorships. He got exceptional because he's beyond his peer group and playing in the WHL is what's best for his development.
Bedard has played a level up his whole life. He was the MVP and top scorer this season as the youngest player in his league. The WHL has allowed younger players to play some games in their league for years, just like Savoie. This time, they're letting a younger player play a full season in the league. The WHL is the last league to grant a player exceptional status. They think Bedard is the right player to finally pick. They didn't just flip a coin to make this choice, plenty of time and thought went into this decision.
As far as him being small, you can find a ton of smallish players who have been puck dominant, skilled, point producers in the WHL. Bedard will be much of the same. You're looking at the Savoie hit as an example of what will happen to Bedard, but it's an absolute worst case scenario, and honestly, players with vision, skating ability and elusiveness like Bedard are often able to avoid being rocked. Savoie took a brutal hit, no doubt, and yes, it could happen to anyone. But that doesn't mean that it will, or even that it's likely to.
when hes a ppg next year and never gets knocked out will you come here and say whoops i was wrong sorry?
PBandJ
If it didn't happen in the 80's, it didn't happen
If there's some league wide conspiracy to go after Bedard and take him out, that speaks more about the WHL than anything about Bedard or his family.
alko
Registered User
Have such feeling, you are one of them.
I think, when the guys in CHL voted yes, they looked also for this. If is he physically ready to play in such league.
Jabs102501
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- May 16, 2018
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There are players who are even smaller than Bedard who have played in the WHL. I don't see why this is such a big issue for people.
barabas21
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- Mar 9, 2016
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So cheering on an exceptionally talented young hockey player is wrong, but wanting the same 15 year old to be knocked unconscious to prove a stupid point is all good?
You are truly a one of a kind twat.
I have no idea how you somehow got that I *want* this 15 year told be knocked unconscious from my posts. That's absurd.
Let me put it this way for you. If you see a person driving with a blindfold on down a highway...you might say that's going to end with a horrific result. It doesn't mean you are hoping for a tragic accident, but you strongly expect it to happen because it's so reckless.
As for the argument that Bedard will be ok because he has great hockey awareness, I think you are greatly uninformed about Matthew Savoie. He's not a 4th line plug. While I personally prefer Bedard, Savoie is in the same category as Bedard in terms of skill and elite awareness.
And naming some other 15 year olds that played a handful of games in the WHL who have nowhere near the hype or attention of Connor Bedard is ignoring the reason why he's in danger. Bedard has a target on him because of the attention. He's being featured on TSN and other venues and is already being names as #1 pick in 2023 NHL Draft. Guys want to make a name for themselves by taking him out.
That's not the correct framing of what I'm saying. Your argument is like saying letting your 4 year old walk alone through the big city is ok because if anything happens to the child, it's a reflection on the creep that did it, not on the parents. The point is it's horrible parenting because you're putting the kid in a situation to get harmed. And I wouldn't use the word "conspiracy". It's just natural human emotion in junior hockey. Kids who feel like they haven't got the credit or attention they deserve or who fear they don't have a future get jealous and ticked off at a young kid getting opportunities they didn't have and know that if they target him, that may be a way to get attention for themselves. Again, there's a reason that you all ignore why not 1 of Savoie's teammates did a damn thing when he got knocked out. A 15 year old "whiz kid" is not popular with anyone as far as players goes in junior hockey, especially in the WHL.
What makes it any different then if they are 16 or 17. McDavid and Tavares weren't targeted. Neither was Veleno. So if this is something that happens then it is exclusive to the WHL. Savoie is unlikely to be much bigger than he was last year. So will he be targetted again this year. Should we just put pads on the ice and nerf the players so that when they come into contact with eachother it's less painful? There is being appropriately worried and then theres being a helicopter parent like you are right now. There will be very little different between Bedard at 15 and Bedard at 16 psychically so if hes a target this year he will always be a target. Life goes on. Don't worry so much.
barabas21
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When did I say anything about hockey sense or compare him to other 15 year olds? I am calling you out on your numerous ridiculous posts about guys gunning for him, him being knocked unconscious and than doubling down by telling people to come back to this thread when he in your words inevitably gets horribly injured.
Like I said there is nothing wrong with being excited to want to watch a supremely talented player who might even be a once in a lifetime player for us WHL fans.
There is nothing you can say to justify your comments to me and I will always think you are a moronic twat.
Sure it wasn't a great post but one doesn't need to look very far on HF Boards to see even dumber posts to be frank.
Using your logic then Connor shouldn't be allowed to play in the WHL until he is a legal adult and able to make up his own mind then right?
Even at that age if everything you say is true (which is extremely doubtful to say the least) those players will still be headhunting for him right?
Perhaps if you were really concerned you would start a gofundme page for his recovery as you might be liable as you saw it coming yet didn't inform him or his parents....see how illogical all of this is?
For the record I'm looking forward to watching both Savoie and Bedard as they progress in the eastern division next year.
There is a difference between the physical maturity of someone who is 15 vs 16. Let's take your argument and go the other way. If you think 15 is ok since it's 1 year away from 16, then why not have 14 year olds in the WHL playing against 20 year olds? That's ok too?
Look at Bedard in an interview setting. He's a young kid.
He's being put in this position all because of money. His parents think it will raise his stock which in turn will translate to $$$ and of course the WHL/Regina Pats are excited for the increased revenue they'll get.
You're ridiculous. You either intentionally make false accusations or you have absolutely terrible reading comprehension skills. Show me where I said I *want* Bedard to be knocked unconscious? You can't because you're making that up. It's not hard to follow what I said. Older guys in the WHL *will* be gunning for him because they're jealous of the attention he's getting and can make a name for themselves by taking him out.
Btw, ex NHLer Daniel Carcillo was speaking out against this after Matt Savoie got knocked out cold in the WHL as a 15 year old. He wanted to get into contact with Savoie's parents....he had good intentions but good lucjk with that. The parents are the problem. And even after that happened, Bedard's parents made their case for exceptional status. Unbelievable.
Hahaha Carcillo must be feeling guilty about the heads he targeted in this playing days. Guy was one of the biggest pieces of shit on the ice during his time. And it proves the point that it doesn't matter how old you are or at what level you play at from bantam to the NHL there are always pieces of shit on the ice trying to cave your head in. Being scared of those players is no way to deal with them. You suspend them and if they don't change you ban them from the league.
Sure sometimes but not all of the time and one kid at 14 then another at 15 another at 16 heck even older can all have the same physical maturity it's all player specific.
No one is arguing that 14 year olds should be playing in the wHL, heck if I had my way the WHL would follow the Swedish model where they have U20, U18, U16 teams ect and have 2 year age differences.
Let's take Regina and Winnipeg for example they could have 3 teams each a U20, U18 and U16 team in the "WHL" and we could do that for every city (of course this has inherent problems as well but I'm talking an ideal world here.)
Then a kid like Savoie and Bedard can play in the U16 league and if they are simply destroying it then move up to the U18 league then slide back down if needed ect....
What really matters is that he wants to get better and challenge himself if he isn't ready they can always alter the development plan right?
Money?
How much of a difference is there going to be in his being granted exceptional status or not on draft day for the NHL?
Basically what he dies in his draft season will matter for the NHL not what he does at 15 or 16 years old in the WHL.
Your whole argument is based n something that you think might happen out of fear, like I said before maybe Bedard should focus on school in your world and avoid sports altogether maybe?
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