WEDNESDAY COMMENTARY: STAND OUT

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98, Rock 98.5 FM & LTD Radio)

It’s going to be a monumental day.

Shortly after 7 pm ET tonight, Connor Bedard will officially become a “former Regina Pat”.

That’s when the North Vancouver product will hear his name called as the #1 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in this year’s NHL Draft.

And then, Connor’s NHL journey will officially begin, although it kind of did the second his Regina Pats lost out in Game 7 of their first round series against Saskatoon this spring.

It certainly feels like his time in Regina went by in a blink; but in that time he established himself as the greatest Regina Pat ever.

No questions asked.

Did you appreciate it? I know I certainly did, having the opportunity to interview him for the first time at age 14 before he was even selected by the Pats in the Bantam Draft. And then calling his first ever WHL goal in Connor’s first ever game on Access TV in the second period against the P.A. Raiders in the Brandt Centre bubble.

I enjoyed following every single second of his WHL career so that’s why when his name is called tonight, it’ll be a feeling of exhilaration.

It’s been almost impossible to get my mind around how big of a star Bedard’s become in a fairly short period of time.

Doing a Google search of his name this morning brought up millions of articles and one which stood out was a story in the Japan Times, previewing the Draft, and Connor going #1.

If you need anymore proof the NHL is a Global brand …

And I learned things from Connor along the way too. In that first interview I’ll never forget asking him which NHL player he’s most like, or models his game after.

He stared in the camera and said sternly, “Nobody. I’m me.”

What a revelation, in a world where everyone’s trying to fit in with the crowd.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV, WQEE, Podcast & YouTube Live)