Connor Bedard plays down one aspect about himself when compared to Connor McDavid (Getty)

"I know I'm not" - Connor Bedard plays down one aspect about himself when compared to Connor McDavid

Modified Nov 06, 2024 16:42 GMT

Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard are arguably two of the faces of hockey. McDavid claims to be the best player in the sport, but the younger Bedard has been touted as a generational player. They are similar in that sense, but they're also quite different.

Via The Athletic, Bedard explained one key difference between the two, and it has nothing to do with their actual play or skills:

"It’s a little overwhelming coming into a national spotlight. Not when we’re playing. When we’re playing hockey, we’re just playing the game. Just the attention and stuff. I don’t know if his personality, if he’s super outgoing on camera or whatever. I know I’m not."

Bedard prefers to keep his head down and focus on the game in front of him, whereas McDavid seems to be more comfortable on camera and in front of an audience. Bedard is just 19 years old, eight years younger than McDavid.

Connor Bedard reflects on learning from Connor McDavid

Connor Bedard may have a career path similar to Connor McDavid. Time will tell, but he's on a trajectory, unlike the one the Edmonton Oilers star was on for a while. He could be a resource for Bedard.

Connor Bedard revealed one thing Connor McDavid taught him (Imagn)

The Chicago Blackhawks star said via The Athletic that he didn't talk much to McDavid but did learn one thing:

"I talked to McDavid briefly about it. He just said keep the hours to a minimum because it can get dragged out. But not too much, really. I haven’t spent a crazy amount of time with those guys, maybe McDavid a little bit more than any of them."

The former top draft pick added:

"Obviously he’s been in the league nine or 10 years now, so he’s pretty comfortable with everything and with the success he’s had. So it is cool to see that he’s doing that stuff."

Bedard has a long way to go before he's anything like McDavid, whether in terms of on-ice success or just how he handles being one of the most prominent players in a popular sport.