Among Wayne Gretzky’s more popular hockey records, there was one that was pretty darn unique. Back in 1977, Gretzky became the first (and only) Canadian 16 year old to score a hat-trick during a World Juniors game. Well, yesterday, North Vancouver’s Connor Bedard didn’t just beat tie Gretzky’s record- he set a new one.

That’s because, during an 11-2 blowout against Austria yesterday, Bedard became the first 16-year-old ever to score 4 goals in a single game. So, not only did he beat Gretzky’s record as the youngest Canadian to score a hat-trick, he went ahead and set a completely new one. Not bad at all.

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Naturally, the internet was aflame with praise for the phenom, as memes and reactions spilled in following the performance.

 

We threw in the final tweet as a thank-you to Edmonton for hosting the tournament, but if Bedard does become an Oiler we think the whole world might go insane.

The Connor Bedard scenario is a bright spot for the World Juniors, which has seen lower-than-expected attendance in both Edmonton and Red Deer, and has already had to cancel games due to COVID-related issues. At the time of writing, the hope is to continue the competition as planned, with Canada’s next game scheduled for Friday, December 29th against Germany.

So, if you’re hoping to see one of Canada’s brightest hockey prospects play, we highly recommend turning it on! After all, it’s not every day (or even every decade) that someone manages to take down one of the Great One’s records.