Connor Bedard shines at Calgary WHL game, leads Regina to shootout win
Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome was packed to the rafters with fans eager to take a look at Canadian phenom Connor Bedard and the 17-year-old did not fail to impress.
The Regina Pats faced the Calgary Hitmen in the latter team's third of five straight games on Wednesday night.
Blake Heward opened up scoring for Calgary, but that was soon matched by an unassisted goal from Bedard.
The second period, however, was dominated by the Hitmen, following a late first period power play goal from Carter Yaremchuk.
Tomis Marinkovic made it 3-1 for the Hitmen going into the third period, with the home team outshooting Regina 39-24.
But that's when Regina began its comeback, with Tanner Brown and Alexander Suzdalev helping tie the game. The Hitmen's Sean Tschigerl regained the lead with his 16th goal of the season, but Braxton Whitehead evened the score again for Regina.
The third period wrapped up with two more goals – one for each team – from London Hoilett for Calgary and another from Whitehead for Regina.
The game's overtime was scoreless, making both teams settle the game with a shootout, where Bedard scored the only goal, winning it for the Pats 6-5.
The Saddledome was a packed house for the game, with the Hitmen saying 16,700 tickets had been sold by the afternoon.
Usually with Hitmen games, just the lower bowl of the arena is open to fans, but this time it opened up seats all the way to the press level.
The Western Hockey League game, also televised on TSN, offered the largest in-house audience of Bedard's career.
"I'm pretty sure that would be the most," Bedard said in a pre-game meeting with media at a downtown Calgary hotel.
"It's a lot, so it's exciting for all of us to have that and I think that's something you don't really get tired of."
The Hitmen's next game will be on Saturday against the Edmonton Oil Kings.
The event will be the team's Every Child Matters game, held in partnership with Siksika Health Services.
(With files from the Canadian Press)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.

'Targeted inflation relief' coming in 2023 federal budget, Freeland says
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
BREAKING | 1 dead after triple shooting at Fairview Mall parking lot in Toronto
One person is dead and two others are injured following a shooting in the parking lot of Fairview Mall in Toronto on Monday afternoon.
'Absolutely disgusting': B.C. councillor speaks out after Sikh international student swarmed, beaten
An international student was swarmed and beaten by a group of people who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair in Kelowna, B.C., Friday evening, according to a local politician.
Unanswered questions: Montreal mayor calls for meeting with Airbnb after fatal fire
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
Zellers opening inside Hudson’s Bay stores in Ontario, Alberta this week
Hudson’s Bay will open the first 12 Zellers locations inside existing Ontario and Alberta department stores this Thursday.
Safety steps Airbnb renters can take -- and measures that operators must
A deadly fire that swept through a building in Old Montreal on Thursday where several apartments were being used as Airbnb units is raising safety concerns about short-term rental properties. Here are several steps guests can take to protect themselves.
W5 Investigates | How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?
The parents of young Ontario hockey player Ben Teague have been searching for answers since he died while at a team retreat in 2019. The mystery about what happened and the code of silence in hockey culture is explored in CTV W5's 'What Happened to Ben,' on CTVNews.ca and W5's official YouTube channel.