Connor vs. Connor: Get your popcorn ready. We are witnessing an extraordinary era in the NHL

The hockey fan lives in extraordinary times. A time when two Canadian Connors have decided to conquer the hockey world and set limits that will be hard to surpass for many years to come. Connor McDavid and Connor Bedard – magicians with the hockey stick. This is going to be a spectacle.

The former (Connor McDavid) is already making history in the stats and the latter (Connor Bedard) will most likely be his second in the next few years.

When God-given talent and endless diligence come together, something extraordinary is created. Especially in this day and age that pushes the limits of top athletes to the maximum edge of human capabilities.

The NHL has had greats in the past. Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux are in the immortal column. They are among a handful of truly extraordinary players who have made history in the NHL and the hockey world.

But today’s younger generation of fans may not regret so much that they know Gretzky and Lemieux mostly from the perspective of history and archival footage. Even today, there are men in the NHL who can be described as icons of the game.

Who will be better in the end?

While Bedard’s future is still shrouded in a fog of question marks, to compare him already to McDavid, who dominates the NHL in every aspect, is presumptuous. But all the clues are pointing in that direction.

“Connor Bedard is a talent so rare that he was able to roam the ice with NHL players as a pre-teen. At fourteen, he managed regular interviews with reporters; at fifteen, he became the first player to play in the Western Hockey League; at seventeen, he became a worldwide sensation; and at eighteen, he immediately (and capably) stepped in as the number one center for the Chicago Blackhawks,” wrote overseas journalist Mark Lazerus at The Athletic.

And those are exactly the clues as to why Bedard should be as good, if not better, than McDavid. “We may be in a golden age of hockey talent, where potential 50-goal scorers are growing like weeds throughout the league. But few players have the talent or pedigree of Bedard,” Lazerus continues.

Instead of rivalry, camaraderie and mutual admiration

Rivalry? Nope. Even that will be the difference between McDavid and Bedard in the years to come, rather than, say, Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, whose on-ice power measurements have been on point from the start.

Bedard and McDavid are both Canadian, which is the first big difference. Even if one day we finally see an international tournament of the best players on the planet again, be it the Olympics or the World Cup, both players will be standing side by side under the maple leaf flag.

Moreover, the magic duo already know each other well from summer camps when they trained side by side. And then there is, last but not least, the character of both players.

“He’sthe best player in the world and it’s pretty exciting to play against him,” Bedard said of McDavid. He said McDavid is such a special hockey player that he is more of an idol than a fan.

He gave his potential successor a ton of valuable advice on the ice this summer to help his younger rival make it in the best league in the world. “He seems to be handling it all very well,” McDavid said in hindsight.

Tough times, different world

Another undeniable fact is that Bedard, at his young age, is entering the NHL world at a very wild time. There is an extraordinary amount of attention on him. Also, McDavid said that nine years ago when he entered the NHL, the social media age was not like it is today.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone get as much attention as he does, especially so young,” said Bedard’s Chicago teammate Connor Murphy. “But it doesn’t seem to faze him at all. Hehandles everything like a pro,” he added.

“There’s a lot of stuff around him. Everywhere he goes, it’s a circus,” McDavid said.

Bedard has to manage the rigors of a young guy who can’t just hang out with his teammates for a beer. Especially in today’s wild world of smartphones. One mistake, one public misstep, and the whole planet knows about it in a heartbeat.

“It justmakes you feel a little bit more like an adult, even if you’re not quite ready for it yet,” McDavid noted from his experience. There are no official prohibitions in the NHL to keep a young player in a hotel room, he added.

“Ithas to be a choice that comes from him. He has to be ready,” McDavid added. According to those who watch Bedard every day, his attitude at the start of a spectacular career is exemplary.

Will fans see a big playoff fight

As much as fans would love to see both players in the national jersey, it would be exciting for the NHL to see the two Connors facing off in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But at this point, it’s probably just wishful thinking.

Chicago is at the beginning of a major rebuild, and will probably not be among the main contenders for the famous Cup for a few years at the earliest. And there’s also the question of the quality of McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers by then.

The upside, however, is that McDavid is only 26 years old. It’s hard to assume that he’ll be past his prime sometime after 30. Certainly not when the current megastar is still working so hard on a daily basis.

But when that time does come, it will be the NHL’s best all-around marketing. For now, we can compare the two stars from a distance. McDavid is setting the bar a little higher for Bedard with every game and every accurate shot.

The final comparison will come at the end of their careers, but there’s still plenty of time before then. And fans of the best hockey league in the world are likely to be treated to an extraordinary era in the years to come, one that will be talked about long after they’re gone. Like Gretzky, Lemiux, Crosby or Ovechkin. And maybe a little more.

Source: The Athletic