CHL on CBC Gem | 3 Reasons to Watch – Broncos vs. Pats
Get comfy on your couch.
Available via the free CBC Gem streaming service, fans can tune in Monday as the Swift Current Broncos visit the Regina Pats, with puck drop set for 2 p.m. Central.
To get you ready, here are three reasons why this WHL showdown is must-see TV:
Bedard takes to the national stage
Never miss an opportunity to take in Connor Bedard. The expected first-overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Regina Pats exceptional centre and reigning WHL Rookie of the Year is in the midst of a phenomenal second season in which he has climbed to top spot in team scoring with 56 points counting 30 goals and 26 assists through 37 appearances. Against the Broncos this season, the 16-year-old North Vancouver, B.C., native has been a force, where through three prior meetups he has collected three goals and four assists for seven points. Entering Monday’s contest riding a seven-game point streak, that stretch has seen Bedard register 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points. For the Broncos, while much of the focus will be on keeping Bedard off the scoresheet, he doesn’t go it alone for the Pats, as among the collection of talents bringing it offensively for Regina this season includes overage blue-liner Ryker Evans, a second-round selection by the Seattle Kraken in last summer’s NHL Draft who this season sits third among WHL rearguards with 47 points across 43 contests.
🎥HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT🎥
Another day, another Bedard nomination!🥵@WHLPats | #CB98 | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/OQdNjOUImz
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 13, 2022
Eyes on draft day for Broncos
With as many as six players slated for selection in the upcoming NHL Draft per Central Scouting, for the Broncos that list is headlined by budding blue-liner Owen Pickering, the No. 21 ranked North American skater whose first full season with Swift Current has seen him shine with 27 points in 48 games. One of three members of the Broncos chosen to participate in the upcoming Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, among the other invitees is talented right-wing Josh Filmon. Coming in at No. 51 in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm assessment, the Winnipeg native is noted for his high-end skating skill that will allow him to excel at the next level. On the season, he sits second in team scoring where through 49 appearances he has registered 20 goals and 18 assists, putting him just eight points shy of fellow draft eligible forward Mathew Ward for top spot. Lastly, also headed to the Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game from the Broncos is netminder Reid Dyck. Originally chosen 45th overall in the 2019 WHL Draft, Dyck has played the understudy role this season, finding the win column four times.
A pretty passing play by Owen Pickering and Braeden Lewis gives Josh Filmon his 20th of the season!@SCBroncos | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/L9EF4j39sl
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 20, 2022
Ward continues to turn heads
Matthew Ward has caught the attention of the scouting community. Originally selected 14th overall in the 2019 WHL Draft, the product of Kamloops, B.C., continues to shine in his second season with the Broncos following a debut year where he neared point-per-game production with 22 points through 23 appearances, including 16 assists to lead his first-year brethren in the helpers category. This season, Ward has continued to flash his offensive upside where he leads the Broncos in scoring with 46 points counting 18 goals and 28 assists coming in 45 contests, including four points in three prior outings against Regina. Although undersized, talent evaluators note Ward for his keen ability to create scoring opportunities, whether by using his high-end play-making skill set to find his linemates or by unleashing his quick wrist shot. Clocking in at No. 144 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s midterm report, look for Ward’s name to be called in the second half of the 2022 NHL Draft.
Mathew Ward caps the night off in style as he notches his first career WHL hat trick!🎩🎩🎩@SCBroncos | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/nOszfjdKrG
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 19, 2022