Canadian phenom Connor Bedard had one of the best single-time offensive performances in World Junior Hockey Championship history and led Canada Thursday night to the 20e gold medal in its history.
The 17-year-old forward led the 2023 tournament with 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists), which ranks him fourth in single-tournament production.
The Canadian Press paints here a table of the five greatest offensive performances in the history of the Championship.
Peter Forsberg, Sweden
Forsberg still tops the list of greatest offensive performances in a World Junior Championship thanks to his performances at the 1993 tournament. Forsberg had 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists) in seven outings, but was unable to lead his country to a triumph over Canada in the gold medal duel. He then scored the decisive goal in the shootout in the grand final at the 1994 Olympics, avenging his loss to Canada at the World Juniors. It was his first of two Olympic gold medals, the other having come in 2006. Forsberg enjoyed a 13-season career in the National Hockey League (NHL), spanning from 1994 to 2011. He won two Stanley Cups and also received the Hart, Art-Ross and Calder trophies on one occasion. Forsberg finished his career with 885 points (249 goals, 636 assists) in 708 games.
Markus Näslund, Sweden
Näslund was the 1993 tournament’s top scorer, with 13 goals. He also had 11 assists, to finish immediately behind Forsberg. Selected 10 ranks behind his compatriot in 1991 (16e in total), he played 15 seasons in the NHL, between 1993 and 2009, including just over 11 in the uniform of the Vancouver Canucks. During his career, which he started with the Pittsburgh Penguins and ended with the New York Rangers, Näslund had 869 points (395 goals, 474 assists) in 1,117 games.
Raimo Helminen, Finland
Helminen rose to prominence with a then-tournament record 24 points at the 1984 World Junior Championship, which included 11 goals. Finland took the silver medal, losing in the final to the Soviet Union in Sweden. Helminen also represented his country in the 1984 Olympics. That same year, he was a second-round pick for the New York Rangers. Helminen played in the NHL in the 1985-86 and 1986-87 seasons, as well as 1988-89, before heading to Europe, where he played the last 18 seasons of his professional career. In 117 NHL games, he scored 59 points, including 13 goals.
Connor Bedard, Canada
Bedard outrageously outplayed all other players at the 2023 tournament while collecting a second gold medal in five months with Canada at the World Junior Championship. He set Canadian records for the most points and assists in a single tournament. He tied the Canadian mark for the most career goals (14) at the tournament and he surpassed Jaromír Jágr for the most points accumulated by a player aged 18 or under. The North Vancouver native will return to the Regina Pats in the Junior League West, where he will try to maintain his position as the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft.
Robert Reichel, Czechoslovakia
Reichel led all players in the 1990 tournament, played in Finland, with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists), as Czechoslovakia won the bronze medal. A fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 1989, Reichel played for 11 seasons in the NHL, between 1990 and 2004. He also played for the New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs. He finished his career with 630 points (252 goals, 378 assists) in 830 games.