Tragedy strikes 15 year old phenom Connor Bedard

The Regina Pats have announced that Garth Bedard, grandfather of 15 year old phenom Connor Bedard, has passed away tragically in a motorcycle accident in British Columbia.

A statement from the team:

Absolutely crushing. I can't imagine how this young kid is dealing with everything going on in his life right now. He's under extreme pressure as a 15 year old playing in the WHL with the expectation that he'll one day be an NHL superstar and then suddenly.... none of that matters anymore when you lose someone you love. Try cheering this kid up right now by telling him he's got a bright future... see how that goes. I'm honestly just gutted for him and the entire family. We've all been through the loss of a family member, but when someone is killed instantly and with no time to prepare yourself mentally it can be devastating. Thoughts and prayers to the entire Bedard family.

If you're not familiar with Bedard yet, just wait a few years and he'll become a household name. The kid is the first ever "exceptional player" in WHL history, enabling him to play in a league full of 18, 19 and 20 year olds at just 15 years old. He's following in the footsteps of guys like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid and... quite frankly... Bedard is outproducing those two generational superstars. He leads the WHL in scoring with a ridiculous 10 goals and 26 points in 14 games. Again, the kid is just 15 years old. 

He won't be eligible for the NHL Entry Draft until 2023 and if his trajectory continues he'll establish himself as a generational prospect like McDavid and Crosby. I mean... just look at the kid:

He's the total package and one NHL team is going to be very, very, very lucky to draft him in 2023.