Connor Bedard NHL Combine Fitness Test Results: Fit Or Not?

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Connor Bedard dominated the WHL and World Juniors this season.
Even though he’s only 18, he has got nothing left to prove at the junior level.
The big question is:
How will Bedard’s game transition to the NHL?
And what, if any, gaps exist that could prevent him from reaching his full athletic potential?
I tried to find some answers by digging into Bedard’s fitness test results at the 2023 NHL Draft Combine.
And I noticed some obvious shortcomings in his physical development. Things I haven’t seen anyone else (not even NHL scouting staff) address.
In this video, we cover what Bedard's NHL Combine testing highlights can tell us about his physical development right now, and where his gym training and off-ice workout program should focus on going forward.
0:00 Intro
0:29 Physique
1:31 NHL Draft Combine
1:59 Pull-Up
2:43 Bench Press
3:52 Pro Agility
4:37 Broad Jump
5:31 Vertical Jump
6:28 CHL Skating Tests
7:05 Bedard's Physical Shortcomings
7:47 Correlation Between Jumps & Skating Speed
8:07 Bike Tests
9:06 Verdict
10:42 Recap
11:09 My Rookie Season Prediction
#connorbedard #nhldraft #blackhawks
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[@NextLevelAthletics]

WATCH NEXT -- train like an NHL player: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaOZdpmkeL59bNE

[@trevorlambert4226]

I'd love to see established stars in the prime of their careers doing these. I suspect you will find little correlation between these and on-ice performance.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Would be interesting to see for sure

[@justinberber9848]

Gretzky would've had a bad combine too. He was notoriously weak.

[@floxy20]

I don't think (m)any would bother. Kids' stuff for an NHLer.

[@jogendron6320]

Lemieux never passed a physical if I remember correctly. Couldn’t lift weight either.

[@djmaarky]

Great breakdown, very informative. Its not strange that player with the best fitness test results got drafted 3rd round 67 overall. This only shows when you measure potential of future prospect in hockey, conditioning makes some significance. But hockey iq, skating, shooting, stickhandling etc are way more important.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Absolutely, the best/most skilled player almost never tops the fitness tests at the NHL Draft or any pro hockey team. Hockey skills trump everything else. You could also look at it this way: Is the guy who posts the best fitness test results already near the limit of his physical potential? In that case, he probably doesn't have that much upside left. Whereas an exceptionally skilled player like Bedard still has plenty of room to improve just by plugging the physical gaps in his game I covered in the video.

[@ImGettinWeird]

​@@NextLevelAthleticsyou could say the same no matter what place they placed in the fitness test. Except it would be worse if someone near the bottom was already near their limit.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

If someone placed near the bottom then he wouldn't be anywhere near his genetic limit. Below average test results always reflect there's something wrong or missing in an athlete's training. Either that, or his attitude -- he's not taking fitness and diet seriously. Nobody who trains hard and smart for years in the gym botches it on test day.

[@johnboulanger807]

I think Lardis is a steal for Chicago in third round. Time will tell.

[@TM-qj4yr]

These tests are useless. None of these prospects have numbers like Connor Bedard in the WHL and at the Junior World Championships so mic drop.

[@williamcavanagh8982]

I think I remember a Great Canadian Hockey Player who regularly finished last on his team during the annual fitness test. His name you may recall was Wayne Gretzky. So I guess we can say the test has no real correlation to how good of a hockey player one may be in relation to how many chin ups one can do. Much like Larry Bird in Basketball his fitness level did not measure up to his greatness.

[@DJeffvegas1]

Exactly. They should be tested on their creativity as well.

[@delcorporation-qmsvideos5140]

Great observations.... keep in mind... Gretzky was not a fast skater, his footwork wasn't amazing, he was physically way down on the food chain, but his HIQ was through the rough and had a deceptive shot much like Connor Bedard. He will definitely be fun to watch.

[@user-sl7vs9dx9u]

gretzky was the best playmaker and it s bedard weakness at what l ve seen from him he is not a playmaker but a shooter most of his points are wrist shot not playmaking he is more like austin mattews but really smaller

[@user-sl7vs9dx9u]

alot of peoples think he will be the next crosby and mcdavid but he will not those two are really good playmaker and can score goals too let him play his game he will be a good goals scorer but not an art ross trophy winner for the most points

[@davidrobins4025]

Interesting analysis. This young man is going to provide many hours of fun watching him play hockey. And he's not even twenty years old yet. Lots of room for improvement and that's a scary thought.

[@eirikrdberg1161]

18 G 37 a= 55 pts in 66 games.

[@bringmebedard]

his skating is well above average, its just that his shot, hockey iq and offensive tool kit are next level. His mechanics are very good but sometimes his stride is a bit wide. His straight line speed is solid but the best parts of his skating are side to side movement and elusiveness. Its important to watch his game clips to evaluate his skating where it actually matters, not on an open rink with cones at a CHL test. The combination of his hockey iq and manipulation abilities with the puck only help improve the effectiveness of his skating. In game his pace of play is much higher than most of his WHL peers. I think he scores 37 goals with 42 assists for 79 points. Great breakdown of the combine results!!!

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Nice add. Like I said, I'm not qualified to assess his skating technique and ability, so interesting info.

[@bringmebedard]

@@NextLevelAthletics yes mechanically his stride is very sound, so if he can stand to develop more explosiveness like you said, his straight line speed and agility will take another jump and he could be a truly elite skater at the NHL level. I was surprised by his jumping considering the his legs look like tree trunks, I was expecting a bit more out of him tbh.

[@Spincat08]

My u13 nephew just did his AAA version of this with his team last month and came out dejected. He finished 1st in every singly category except one in which he finished last, the bench press. He couldn't bench the bar... (45 lbs). I tried to tell him that the bench press is not an effective measurement of hockey players, because I bench a lot and I suck, but he still wants to improve his bench.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

The bench press is the least important big lift for a hockey player. A big squat + clean = fast and explosive athlete.

[@looloo6322]

tell him to do wide grip slow push-ups. At 13 his growth plates aren't finished expanding and growing, he shouldn't be lifting weights at that age yet. Unless he's 6'2" at 13 then I would say never mind.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Wrong. The myth that lifting weights stunts growth needs to die. Plenty of research exists that shows lifting (when done right) doesn't harm children or turn them into midgets for life. I cover this topic in depth in Chapter 16 in Strength Training For Ice Hockey: hockeystrengthbook.com/

[@matthewcolitti8456]

great video man

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Appreciate it!

[@bilnolin5967]

Seeing his training on IG they focus a lot on speed and agility and less on straight strength. They do a lot of complex movements which look great and I’m sure are helpful, but I’d like to see him put a solid strength phase in during the offseason with heavy bench, pull-ups, rows, Bulgarian split squats (my favourite), deadlifts, and squats - with accessory lifts of course.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Yup, building that strength foundation is a must

[@TLynam]

@@NextLevelAthletics Do any hockey players perform the olympic lifts? Seems pretty translatable.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Yes. Hang power cleans mainly.

[@bilnolin5967]

@@TLynamdefinitely hang cleans with my guys. I also have guys do some single arm snatch work with kettle or dumb bells.

[@lukemoloney1113]

Settle down coach

[@S0larW1nd]

Luckily for Berard there is a Lot more to hockey than just pure athleticism as evident from Nick Lardis' stats, resulting him being drafted #67 when Bedard went #1 overall... Time will tell how he fares in the big league but his potential to fill the net is undeniable! However 100 points in a rookie season in Today's league is an unattainable feat in my opinion. Something like 30G + 40A is more likely.

[@TheOvermaster]

I honestly think he could hit 35G but yeah I doubt he gets ppg numbers.

[@Jakuby21]

He's been going hard on single leg lateral movements. His hockey trainer posts himself training Bedard often. He's probably excited to take credit for the improvements Bedard has made over the summer. Or...Bedard will realize it's time for a new conditioning coach...

[@pauldion9153]

Firstly great analysis. I'm just glad all the focus on sports science wasn't around in the 1980's as we would have missed out on the Great One. Are we heading to a time where long jumpers and high jumpers with no particular skills in a given sport are the first ones drafted? Sports science is great at making athletes better but let's not turn everything into a cookie cutter of a+b=c. Ie sports, especially team sports are best when there are a variety of skills, size and strengths that work together. How many great NHL players would never have played NHL if we relied on how high and how far they can jump? You may think I'm over reaching but I've seen it in happening in major sports here in Australia. AFL in the 80's was full of skilled forwards who could kick goals straight 50-70 metres. Now it's made up mostly of athletes that can reach goals of endurance, jumping etc and they often struggle to kick straight. Similarity in Cricket bowlers are now held back from practising because of arbitrary limits in how many balls they are allowed to bowl at training. The focus should remain on improving the abilities of the best talent as you have well pointed out in this video however it seems to be a slippery slope to trying to turn athletes into robots. My 2c. Apologies if the above doesn't make sense to northern hemisphere people due to my references to AFL and cricket.

[@65moonwalk]

Yes the conditioning is never really analyzed, I didn't know how much smaller Connor McDavid was than Bedard. Good information

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Thank you

[@whatsfordinner21]

54 goals 47 assists

[@KareusCaliburn]

He is .25 Kessels

[@NickWeissMusic]

Could be wrong on this, but I believe in his first NHL game, Bedard had the most forward TOI in the game. His conditioning seems ok lol.

[@SeeEdRun]

Any idea how Patrick Kane did? He was tiny when he started, and he’s a first year hall of famer, for sure.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Combine fitness test results have been made public only in the last 10 or so years. No results from Kane's 2007 draft exist online, only NHL teams have them.

[@Rezin8Gaming]

we want an on ice portion of the combine

[@georgebaigent8078]

Great set of tests for the Olympics. How about skating with the puck and someone trying to knock you over the boards as a test?

[@randalljohnson3458]

I'd like to see more speed, because if he can blow by those he's up against he would be a goalies nightmare. He is working on this in games as I watch him play, and that's good. Considering where he's at being only 18, I agree with you that making this his focus off season he could show up next year just busting. He's a fierce competitor. I saw an interview with Wayne Gretzky where he said he wasn't really a fast skater, and went on to list several things that he did that he felt were only average. That blew my mind, especially if he was being honest and not only humble. One other thing about Bedard is he doesn't have one good player on the team with him as of now. He's playing with kids I hope will develop into very good players. When Kane joined the Hawks, they were loaded! That team should have won 5-7 championships. I wish they would have asked Toews and Kane to return to help mentor the kid. Especially now knowing that Kane would have said yes, and sure Toews would have too. Thanks for the video.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

You're welcome

[@Jwallen1982]

36 + 29 = 65 points if healthy. Speed might get him in trouble vs the big boys thogh = higher chance of injury.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Almost identical to Auston Matthews' rookie totals, interesting

[@HockeySniper25]

Do you meen he us to slow or to fast

[@Jwallen1982]

I mean he is to slow.@@HockeySniper25

[@Jwallen1982]

Atm he is on point for what i thought in goals, but a bit behind in assists.@@NextLevelAthletics

[@briancarrier9299]

I hope Chicago's enforcer is ready to prove his worth making sure the new kid stays upright

[@ImpulseToAdrenaline]

40 goals? lol. that's high. 25g, 45a. - 70 pt

[@mikeglynn5824]

This episode should be called where r they now. How many of these guys who smoked Bedard in these tests r beating him in stats in the pros currently 11 goals 9 asst. Intangibles can’t be measured. These tests in my opinion benefit nfl scouts way more than nhl.

[@williammaisel4828]

I wonder how Gretzky rated?

[@markfoy4340]

Good take bro on Connor; amazing skill but lacking in leg strength and power; I train athletes as well and one of the biggest issues is speed for our hockey players; Connor is too skilled not to be up there in points; my take 34 goals; 46 assists for 80 points; would be a good rookie year; thanks for the video!!

[@macedindu829]

Seems like your points prediction is solid.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

So far. I was expecting he'd have more goals than assists with his release.

[@gavinjohnston8156]

The thumbnail tells you everything you need to know

[@0After30]

I believe he doesn’t have that lower body strength because he spends most of his time on the ice to develop skills that separate. Of course strength and physical capability is needed to keep up with the game but to separate from others, that really comes down to skill. Good info though

[@NextLevelAthletics]

He spends time in the gym, there are videos of his training online. Doesn't seem like he lifts heavy though, which you need to build a solid strength foundation.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

He's 17/18, with natural testosterone levels at their peak, heading into his first season as a pro playing against adults who are much stronger than him. If that's not the right age to lift heavy, then when is? I recently saw a video of an 11 year old squatting 110 kg for 3 reps and clean and jerking over 90 kg... and that was a GIRL. It's not a question of age, it's about learning good technique from the beginning and progressing an athlete gradually without going overboard with weight/volume. Time to bury that "young athletes shouldn't lift heavy" nonsense six feet under.

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Lifting with good technique over a full range of motion using appropriate loads does not cause injuries. Anyone who still clings to the outdated myth that lifting heavy = injury needs to read Chapter 3 in my book Strength Training For Ice Hockey (hockeystrengthbook.com/). The research is all there, it's undebatable.

[@JP-dm6gi]

What is overlooked here is that none of the very best talents in the game have been the strongest people of the draft. These combine stats have little if no effect in whether or not the top prospects will remain top picks in the draft. Muscle mass and power will be gained season by season as they mature and their body/metabolism adjust to the 82 games a season pace in professional hockey. Not possible to catch up in hockey skills, however. Being bad at darts doesn't mean being bad at javeling throw, is all I'm saying.

[@rikan77]

120pt 50 goals

[@DJeffvegas1]

I'm pretty sure Pavel Datsyuk had the same kind of result. And he had a pretty, pretty good career. 😎 Funny how nobody is testing their IQ and their creativity...

[@clheppermann]

Can’t wait till he’s back

[@sylvestervoigt9836]

He looks as Fit as Duplantis but I'm just a Pickleballer where it's all about Guile 😅

[@Rowan-mo4ko]

This is me inquiring as to the shade you've thrown but absolutely none of those movements have ever in the history of playing hockey, applied. The game is also changing and you will not deny he has talent. Hockey is not what is was in the beginning. Even Wayne Gretsky admitted he wouldn't win in today's game based on what he knew and how he plays. Hockey is a team sport and effort. He doesn't dart down and race to the goal. He is a playmaker or take shots when open. He sees everything, is very aware and doesn't give up. If everyone was good when they started out then they wouldn't have had to start out. You can't place the wagon before the horse. I agree that his skating needs work but you won't deny that even that having been his handicap that he's still managed to do incredible things. There's no pull-ups in hockey but he managed to do 14 while others just didn't even show up💁‍♀️ There is no motion in hockey that would require him to create those movements. Continue to judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree and it will spend its entire life thinking it were stupid.

[@kgaming9455]

There are some great players from over the years with horrible combine results so I’m not judging anything until he plays

[@hapu80]

rookie season 27+32 = 59 , +- is going to be way over -20 , 40% of the goals on PP

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Sounds like a difficult rookie season!

[@hapu80]

@@NextLevelAthletics G68 22+39=61 +- 44 , so I get pretty close, +- could be even worse than -44, because Connor dont know how to play defense yet + that team around. Of course,He has not need to play defense on his hole life, so it will take time to adjust. Still amazing talent on ice and that shot, its pretty unique.

[@ThePwnzors]

30 goals, 25 assists - 55 pts

[@lucasacchetti4519]

47 goals. 57 assists = 104pts.

[@floxy20]

The combine has very interesting fitness results combined with total irrelevance for success in hockey. Players should be evaluated on their hockey ability - no wait, they are!

[@EricHamilton-ls6fn]

Did they do any sick wristers with defenders on you did they do any I’ve got eyes in the back of my head tests who cares about the nhl tests Gretzky probably couldn’t even bench press the bar he was so skinny

[@kurtwpg]

It sounds like the goal is to make the bench press test dumber every year.

[@willbutler6261]

It's obviously his intangibles that make him so awesome. This stuff is essentially useless. His nose for the puck, rink vision, and awareness are the things that set him apart from everyone.

[@MaxxerG]

Who cares of how much he lifts. This has no correlation to how precision your slap shot is

[@joshschultz7788]

Suspicions confirmed. Hockey players are average white boys in terms of athleticism. But ridiculously skilled and smart at their sport. The vertical jump height is the best measure of explosiveness and god given athleticism. Your sprinter or nfl corner are all going to have 34” plus verticals. 25” is abysmal

[@NextLevelAthletics]

Yes. Hockey players have incredible sport skills but will get smoked by NFL players and sprinters on activities that measure general athleticism such as vertical jump, broad jump, or sprinting.

[@redincproductions7006]

well guess he showed that these tests mean nothing lmao

[@user-sl7vs9dx9u]

he will not reach the 100 points he not a playmaker like crosby or mcdavid what l ve seen from him to date a goal scorer most of his assist were deflect from his shot or rebound from the goalie but not play made by him he is a player like mattews but alot smaller sorry for my english not my first language

[@myothercarisadelorean8957]

2 words by the NHL Combine is useless: Phil Kessell. Dude eats donuts with cream cheese and has 6 cups.

[@jogendron6320]

6 cups? More like 3

[@gregpost3320]

where connor stands during these tests has been proven to be totally irrelevant to how he plays on the ice.

[@ryanthered5915]

what a waste of time. everyone knows the combine is useless. the greatest player ever, couldnt do a pull up😊

[@CardanoConArtist]

sounds like a bunch of useless bs tests