North Vancouver’s Connor Bedard has been named to the 2024 NHL All-Star team – the youngest player in the league’s history to get the nod.
Bedard, who was drafted first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, will be 18 years, 201 days old when the All-Star weekend begins on Feb. 1, 58 days younger than Carolina Hurricanes rookie Jeff Skinner was when he set the previous record for youngest player at the game in 2011, according to NHL stats.
In his first 38 games of the season, Bedard has posted at team-leading 33 points, with 18 assist and 15 goals, one of which was the Dec. 23 “Michigan” in which a player scores from behind the net by lifting the puck on their stick and tucking over the goal line, lacrosse style. Only eight such goals have been recorded in the NHL.
⚠️ CONNOR BEDARD MICHIGAN GOAL‼️ THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/KPWcsVGzo0
— NHL (@NHL) December 24, 2023
Bedard, however, will not be the only North Shore player on the ice.
The Florida Panthers have nominated West Vancouver’s Sam Reinhart as their delegate for All-Star weekend. Reinhart, 28, also leads his team in points after 38 games, with 25 goals and 22 assists. It will be his first appearance at the mid-season event.
The All-Star Weekend takes place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto from Feb. 1 to 3.
Under the current format, each team sends one player to the event with 12 remaining roster slots to be filled by players selected by fans in an NHL.com vote.
Reinhart and Bedard will be on the ice for the All-Star Game, which takes the format of a three-on-three single-elimination tournament, Feb. 3 at noon. The annual All-Star skills competition goes Feb. 2 at 4 p.m.
