The mother of Regina forward appreciates her son’s hard work, dedication to craft
Being the mother of the player many consider the next generational talent in the NHL might be even more overwhelming, but that’s the reality for Melanie Bedard.
Melanie is the mother of Connor Bedard, the overwhelming favorite to be only the No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, but a player who could breathtaking change the fortunes of the NHL team fortunate enough to win the top pick in the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery.
These days, she lives with Connor in Regina, where the young prodigy plays for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. Meanwhile, her husband, Tom, and 20-year-old daughter, Madisen, 20, stay at their primary residence in North Vancouver.
Such is the life of a hockey mom. During an interview with NHL.com at Good Earth, her favorite coffee shop in Regina, Melanie shared her unique perspective on watching her son not only play hockey but also become a celebrity at 17 years old.
“When my husband first watched Connor play, he was amazed by his skill with the puck, but I don’t think we ever truly considered it as something extraordinary happening,” Melanie said after taking a sip of her favorite, Caffe Americano.
“We had agents calling us when he was 10 years old, and we thought they must be something special, but to us, he always knew he was crazy about hockey,” she said. “Even at World Juniors, was that that good?”
Bedard dominated the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, leading all players with 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists), and earned the titles of the tournament’s top forward and most valuable player, assisting Canada to win a second straight gold medal.
He broke the record of most goals and points by a Canadian player in a single World Juniors tournament and came within six points (36 points; 17 goals, 19 assists, in 15 games) of tying Hockey Hall of Fame forward Peter Forsberg for most in a career at the WJC (42 points).
But Melanie doesn’t keep score in the traditional sense.
“I honestly just don’t see at it that way, perhaps because he’s my son and our main concern is to enjoy what he’s doing,” she said.
Bedard be fond of what he’s doing … a lot.
The people who watch him. And despite being the top name on every NHL draft board, one would never know it guessing by how he carries himself on and off the ice around the Brandt Center, home to Regina.
“My dad is my hero and someone I deeply admire, and I would not be anywhere without him, along with my my mom and my sister,” Connor Bedard said. “They are the reason I am here.”
It is that side Connor’s mom recognizes and admires every day.
“As a mother when I watch him play, it is difficult for me to fully enjoy it because I’m always worrying, ‘I hope he doesn’t feel overwhelmed by all this pressure’ and is simply out there having fun just out there having fun,” she said. “Until this year the World Juniors, I really could be quite anonymous around here. People didn’t recognize me before, but I believe a few spotted me on TSN so now, since the World Juniors they have begun approaching me.
“I never want to admit that I don’t enjoy watching it, but I definitely feel the pressure when I’m watching and I just hope that pressure is for him and he’s the one simply enjoying it.”
She describes the World Juniors as an exceptionally special moment.
“I am immensely proud of him, especially when he is donning that Canada jersey. We’ve been following that tournament since Connor was a baby and as he was growing up,” she shared. “So those feelings of pride when he wears it, regardless of the outcome, are precious moments for me as a hockey parent. But it’s probably a lot more stressful than I would have imagined.”
Melanie is aware that Connor has become a role model for many young and aspiring hockey players in Regina. He’s been handling that aspect of his daily life extraordinarily well.
On Feb. 7, Regina hosted its second and final team signing event of the season at Brandt Centre. The scheduled two-hour session was extended to 5 1/2 hours for Bedard, Regina’s captain.
“He handled it very well,” Melanie remarked. “He didn’t get home until midnight that night even though the signing was supposed to be two hours. He came home and was in really good spirits. He said to me, ‘You know what, I at least had something to do.’ He mentioned that people stood in that line just waiting.
“I was glad that he saw it that way …considering it from other people’s point of view. It’s something he excels at.”
However, there Bedard needs to draw the line for the benefit of his family.
“Melanie explained that last year, he would get recognized places and sign things occasionally, but this year has been quite different, especially after the World Juniors event,” she said. ” No matter where he goes, he’s been handling situations when people have been waiting outside our house for a few months very well.” In those times, Connor might simply come inside and ask, ‘Mom, could you close the blinds?’
“I believe he is aware if he starts engaging there, he won’t have any privacy at all. I found it really mature of him to understand that, and I think it’s crucial that he did because everyone needs a place where they can have some privacy.”
And when he is home, he likes to eat. But not like your normal teenager.
“He’s never tried fast food … he probably will eventually, but so far, he hasn’t eaten at McDonald’s or any similar place,” Melanie said. “We all understand the difference in how we feel when we eat healthily compared to when we indulge. I think he’s conscious of that sensation. On game days, his meals usually consist of a variety, like chicken, rice, vegetables, shrimp, mashed yams, chicken again, and salmon. It’s a bit of a rotation.”
“Often, he’ll text me and it makes me laugh because I’ll receive these messages while he’s at school that asks, ‘How about chicken tonight? How about quesadillas?’
“Sure, let me just whip that up,” she said with a hearty laugh.
Admire her son what qualities does she have most?
“I believe he is a really nice person,” she said. “He would never cheat to get anything. It is difficult to articulate without coming across as boastful, but I am proud of my children, he’s honest, a good friend, and compassionate about others.”
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