Warriors Unable to Contain Connor Bedard

By @moosejaw_warriors (Instagram) @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter)

*Connor Bedard is a highly touted NHL prospect and the youngest team Captain in Regina Pats history*

Your Moose Jaw Warriors we’re looking to make it two in a row against the visiting Regina Pats in Saturday’s home opener at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, affectionately referred to now as “The Hangar”.

In the first game, the Warriors were able to stifle the Pats highly touted 17 year old Captain, Connor Bedard, keeping him off the score sheets with some sticky defense and a few excellent saves by goalie Connor Ungar. In the second game they weren’t able to repeat that success.

There was a new goalie in net for game 2; last year’s backup Jackson Unger (no relation to Connor - different spelling).

For a brief flicker, the previous nights outcome looked like a forgone conclusion. Four minutes into the game and a frustrated Bedard took a slashing penalty and Nathan Pilling made him pay for it by sniping a puck over Pats’ goalie Drew Sim’s shoulder on the Power Play. Brayden Yager and Marek Howell assisted on the play.

Atley Calvert scored his second of the season at 11:26 of the First Period, pushing a rebound passed a sprawling Sim, to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead early on but before the commentators could even finish calling the goal the Pats got one back. The Warriors, maybe still celebrating their lead, turned over the puck in their own end. The turnover, in this case, was right into the waiting stick of Connor Bedard, who shuffled a quick pass to Borya Valis who was parked in front of the net. Valis capitalized.

That’s how the first period ended; Warriors 2, Pats 1.

The Warriors jumped out to a 3-1 lead, early in the second period, when Brayden Yager scored short-handed, his third point of the night. But from there on it was all Regina. The dam had broken and Bedard wouldn’t be held back. The Pats scored three times in the period, Connor Bedard twice, taking advantage of giveaways and using his speed and Parker Berge once with a shot just inside the blue line.

A fun note about Parker Berge. His brother Owen Berge plays for the Warriors. He made his rookie debut in the first game. The boys mother shared these great photos of the boys to her Twitter account.

The Berge brothers - Photo credit Twitter

Back to the game:

In the third period Easton Armstrong scored in the fifth minute, swatting an airborn rebound past Unger. Late in the period, Bedard completed the Hat Trick, scoring an empty-netter from centre ice, and putting the final nail in Moose Jaw’s proverbial coffin.

It took him a bit to get started, but in the second game of this home-and-away series, Connor Bedard did a fantastic job displaying his skill and showing just how dynamic and impactful a player he can be.

Over these two games Moose Jaw has certainly shown, that once they have their complete roster in action, they will be a team that can win a ton of hockey games. 2022-2023 looks to be an exciting season for hockey in the Notorious city.

The Warriors next game is on Friday September 30 at “The Hangar”.