Minten, drafted in July and a former teammate of next year’s projected No. 1 pick, hopes to play for Canada at the next world junior championship in a few months.
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EDMONTON—Add scout and draft critic to the resumé of Canadian junior hockey star Connor Bedard, who thinks the Maple Leafs got the steal of this year’s draft in Fraser Minten.
Bedard might be biased. The two are good friends and former linemates, for two seasons at West Vancouver Academy before going their separate ways in the Western Hockey League.
“I remember before our bantam season, he wasn’t even really projected to get drafted into the WHL,” says the 17-year-old Bedard, who helped Canada advance to Saturday’s final at the world junior hockey championship at Rogers Place. “He put up, like, 70 points or something like that, so I knew he was going to be the steal of the draft. To see him going as high as he did to Toronto, one of the biggest franchises — he was pumped. It was really cool for me to see that.”
Minten, a crafty centre with the Kamloops Blazers, was the Leafs’ first choice in the July draft, 38th overall. Joining him at Montreal’s Bell Centre that night was Bedard.
“He was obviously a big help in my career,” Minten says of Bedard, “from playing with him and just learning so much from being by his side, and watching how hard he works every day and how much he gives to the game ... So, it was really cool for him to be there and it was really good for him, as well, getting a bit of a look at what it’s like in person prior to (his draft year).”
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As for Minten, he was in Toronto this past week working out with future teammates. That was just after a trip to Canada’s summer development camp, in hopes of earning a spot for the next world junior championship starting Boxing Day in Moncton and Halifax.
“That was really an experience,” he says, “my first time getting that opportunity with Hockey Canada. I had a good time personally, and hopefully (I’ll) have a good start to my season and get an invite back for December.”