Connor Bedard is Proof the NHL Combine is a Joke

Fitness training is important for becoming a better hockey player, but fitness testing means next to nothing about how good a player is.
Connor Bedard put up average results (except in pull-ups where he crushed), but he is still a generational prospect because of what he can do on the ice.

[@kimjongun391]

'Connor McDavid turned out to be decent player'

[@everyhandleiwantedwastaken]

I was about to comment the same thing. He’s gotta be a little better than a decent player. 💀

[@lamboraider14]

Cmon, clear sarcasm

[@doug8237]

Who?

[@devynselnes4282]

I was gonna say this exact thing Also Ukraine sucks

[@anthonytesta38]

What I was just coming to comment

[@Seggsycow69420]

Bro called mcjesus decent 💀

[@idrinkgasoline72]

he has yet to win a game in the conference finals lol

[@Jonthetraveller]

It’s called sarcasm bro lol

[@idrinkgasoline72]

@@Jonthetraveller I know bro lol

[@Sevenn03]

That was clearly the joke

[@itscebby8882]

Yeah that was the joke

[@youtubecensors5419]

"I play real sports. Not trying to be the best at exercising." Kenny Powers

[@thanks4that261]

Amen

[@Oilersfan1818]

Hockey is a real sport

[@youtubecensors5419]

@@Oilersfan1818 That's the point: he excels at a real sport, not just exercising well. Watch "Eastbound and Down".

[@Boscoe264]

@@Oilersfan1818maybe in Canada but the skill level required is nothing compared to real sports like Football, Basketball, and Baseball

[@thanks4that261]

@@Boscoe264 you serious? Out of those, baseball is the only one that requires extreme talent, a normal person can run and catch, and basketball requires one to be 7 feet tall no skill, but baseball... a normal person could do everything in baseball EXCEPT hit the ball, that's impossible for a normal person, about as impossible as skating around the ice at 20mph. So you're wrong bud. To be honest, hockey is the hardest sport solely due to the fact that it's played on ice. People play other sports just for fun with a group of buddies, but try throwing your group of friends on the ice for a nice pick up game of hockey LoL good luck, half of them won't even be able to move.

[@kencoakley3959]

There was a quarterback that wasn't drafted until the 199th pick in the NFL draft in 2000 because none of the teams were impressef with him.during the combines. He was Tom.Brady.

[@EinSofQuester]

Don't you mean he was Tom. Fucking. Brady?

[@jamesgentry13]

Yet how many teams draft someone out of nowhere because of combine numbers. College stats be damned

[@gidzmobug2323]

Luc Robataille was thought to have no skating ability. He wasn't drafted till the ninth round of the 1984 draft. Three Cups, several trips to the ASG, and a number retirement later, the pundits scratch their heads and ask, "What did LA see in Robataille?"

[@stephenphillips6245]

Gretzky could barely do 10 pushups and look at the career he had.

[@Ed-ds3hj]

He could do a hundred when he retired. Professional sports had changed a lot by then

[@aaronscott9853]

That vertical took me out 😅

[@44Jimboslice]

Bruh looks like a middle school kid jumping ii stg 🤣🤣

[@KINGPOOPS]

That's the vertical of someone trying to get out of playing in Edmonton

[@kristo2037]

It's good to get an idea of someone's fitness level. Just because the test doesn't show on-ice talent, doesn't mean it's not useful

[@Runnnitt]

Especially with later round picks. It helps GM’s gauge fitness levels in players, in turn giving them more information on said later round pick players.

[@Omdus123]

If there's no correlation it seems rather unnecessary unless someone shits the bed completly their performance on the rink should be enough.

[@kristo2037]

@@Omdus123 You really think there is no correlation between athletic ability and being a good hockey player?

[@Omdus123]

@@kristo2037 There is probably some, do you think Usain Bolt is a good hockey player?

[@kristo2037]

@@Omdus123 So you do take it back, there is actual correlation. Pretty sure Usain Bolt doesn't know how to skate. Name a guy in the combine that doesn't know how to skate.

[@Boyso5407]

I think Tom Brady has proven that the Combine doesn’t always measure how good a player will be.

[@jamesgentry13]

But yet teams are dumb enough to draft someone solely on a 40 time

[@insxrg3nt]

“Turned out to be a decent player”

[@MrSupahLMFAO]

lol says that as he shows a picture of McDavid with a bunch of trophies

[@Hiddensquid49]

Conor McDavid turned out to be a decent player…… thats was the understatement of our generation.

[@beddoftheweek]

“And he turned out to be a decent player”

[@rikardqvarsebo5468]

It was a joke

[@JoeMazzullaaa]

this video has nothing to do with connor bedard. scouts see players on ice abilities and hockey iq in every game they play throughout their season, however there are very strict rules and consequences for fitness testing prior to the combine, Arizona was caught testing before the combine and lost a 1st and 2nd round draft pick just 3 seasons ago. So if it’s so worthless, why are teams sneaking around risking money and draft picks for this information? The truth is any information you can get on a player is worth something.

[@SammDekker]

you would think a channel named “hockeytraining” would know some of this, but you would be wrong..

[@NRTHKR]

it’s almost as if there isn’t a single person that’s the best at everything and people want to find out what someone is the best at and what they could still improve a lot at😂

[@Taylor-gb5gf]

well that is Arizona though... not a great judge of what NHL teams do

[@csolivais1979]

​@@Taylor-gb5gfbut other teams must think it's important, or they would not care if teams were doing it.

[@ExoTheDrakoXIII]

​@@Taylor-gb5gfI would bet that they are probably just the only ones that got caught.

[@drakerector4997]

I know it was in the NFL but a long time ago there was this guy who figured out teams were way too worried about the combine. He decided to not play his last year of college football and instead take a year off and train only the drills that were tested at the combine. He scored extremely well and was drafted. I could be wrong here but I don’t think he ever played a single regular season snap

[@capnstorm8287]

McDavid is not just a decent player he's the best in the nhl today

[@alexcaruso530]

It was a joke…

[@capnstorm8287]

​@@alexcaruso530 still

[@UltimateBreloom]

Litotes - a rhetorical device characterized by deliberate understatement. Nobody thinks Connor McDavid is an average hockey player.

[@simonartymowycz96]

You produce a standardized baseline for all players entering. This isn't just testing done to scout potential that might have otherwise gone unnoticed, this is to track progress and averages down the line.

[@usernaames]

Except if the baseline is trash then any data you can get from it will also be trash

[@simonartymowycz96]

@@usernaames So if I test you on your intelligence it won't matter because the data will be trash

[@JetsMite2]

NHL trying to be like football so bad. fitness tests barely translate compared to football. There are some Hall of Famers that would absolutely suck at this. Most of the freak guys talk about on their team weren’t anything more than guys with extreme endurance. The yoked up gym mutants can carve out good careers for themselves, Some even become stars, but testing high draft picks like this, like it has any bearing on what they are able to do out there is silly.

[@MS-ii1sv]

Hockey is a game of skill. Football is a game of almost pure athleticism. Someone could walk into football late if they are a good enough athlete. That is impossible in hockey. You pretty much have to start playing at five or six years old or you'll never catch up.

[@KevsShwaShwa]

Calling Mcjesus decent is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.

[@Hiddensquid49]

It was the biggest understatement of our generation to date.😂😂😂😂

[@scotteckart1401]

He was being sarcastic

[@Hiddensquid49]

@@scotteckart1401 really? I totally didn’t get that…

[@abdouldmml]

Really don't get a combine for hockey! It's not the nfl and if there not testing things like on ice speed and agility it's pointless

[@joshw604]

one of my professors who supervised some combines said it probably makes sense to treat it like a physical that needs to be passed rather than benchmarking/ranking, ie if a prospect can't broad jump/bench over X then there might be cause for concern

[@darksaga80]

Casey Middlestadt is doing just fine and he couldn't even do a single pull up at the combine.

[@jamesgentry13]

I dont know about NHL teams but NFL you put up a very impressive 40 time will.move you up a couple rounds it's so dumb.

[@jasonrekker4328]

@@darksaga80 right, but if you had two players who were equal in every way, and one could do pullups and the other couldn't, wouldn't you at least want to know that before you consider investing?

[@darksaga80]

r4328 Absolutely. I agree when you start taking chances on guys fir millions of dollars it should all count. You need no lore proof than Mittlestadts draft stock plummeted after his showing in the combine and he ended up going 8th overall when most thought he was a top three pick. He also struggled in his first two years and was widely considered a bust. He's managed to turn his career around even with his poor start.

[@HopefulNihilist]

​@@jasonrekker4328 There's zero correlation between having strong lats and playing Hockey lmao

[@SharksSJ408]

Sam Reinhart couldn’t do a single pull-up and just scored 50 goals this year.

[@grega1461]

It's just a general fitness/athleticism test, dude... teams don't use it to determine draft positions... an immensely talented kid who's to lazy to put in effort is just another indication of commitment

[@craigjones8666]

Let’s see how Hall will help him out and if they can become line mates

[@LJMAC10]

they prolly will be on the first like together

[@nicholascampbell36]

You called that one. They are looking great together

[@justinmdrake]

New test, the Bedard Test: Skate into a stationary rubber dummy and see if it breaks your jaw

[@TheRenaissanceGuys]

They should have some on-ice drills.

[@fthechance]

Guy Lafleur used to smoke cigarettes during games, sniff cocaine and do speed balls... Fitness is over rated...

[@jhenz1926]

Ya he also played in a time where players had summer jobs. His estimated career earnings is 400k. Don’t get me wrong I love Guy and it’s isn’t a knock to him but we have to be honest. The worst player in todays NHL is probably better then him back then. And if you moved him up to today. He wouldn’t have been doing all that or he would be in a beer league somewhere.

[@b3n751]

​​​@@jhenz1926the worst player in todays NHL is a 100goal scorer in Guy Lafleurs era, on skating ability alone. Old time comparisons are an absolute joke tbh. This is comin from an old guy.

[@jhenz1926]

@@b3n751 that was the point. This guy said Guy Lafleur smoked cigarettes on the bench therefore fitness doesn’t matter. The game has changed. Fitness does matter.

[@alejandrosanchez7252]

The only sport where a combine really means anything is football. It's the only sport where you can give a 16 year old kid soem gloves and a helmet, and he can dominate after never hearing about the sport his entire life. You hand a 16 year old kid skates and a stick and he'll be on all fours trying to crawl around on the ice.

[@gustavepparn]

The combine isn’t to see how strong or how fast a player is it’s more to see the compete level of players and how hard they push themselves.

[@Yobanitpls]

nah he really said Connor mcdavid is decent

[@jameskilgour387]

Do you people not understand sarcasm? He literally showed a picture of him with a tonne of silverware - its a painfully obvious joke......

[@okyouknowwhatever]

@@jameskilgour387 Tons of young people (even pre teens) in the YT comments sections.

[@whozinyourmouth7890]

Reminds me of the ACT/SAT

[@bobsmith8124]

I think it’s more so those specific tests, I bet if you brought out the balance boards/ slack lines etc , made the test much more dynamic you could get an idea. Weird they don’t have like an on ice combine, do they?

[@Tech15gaming]

The real testing is pre season

[@user-qm5pl9ol1c]

Connor McDavid is just decent huh

[@jerejokinen3199]

Sarcasm huh

[@juanpeace3y2d]

Bro literally had his trophies in pic, whoooosh over your head

[@malcolmpaull9324]

He's very well rounded

[@cnccigars748]

They should have tested his chin

[@tep916]

Imagine having a combine for your sport where you don't even play the sport😂. Last time I saw hockey pretty sure they had skates on, weren't doing much jumping, and definitely didn't see any players doing pull ups. Proof NHL leadership is a joke

[@taylorsverion26]

“Turned out to be a decent player” 💀 we’re talking about McDavid rn😭

[@brandansurdyk4331]

being in shape and being in hockey shape are very very different

[@joshuawoo1630]

the combine needs to be speed of shot reaction time on passes, accuracy, and skating speed with and without the puck.

[@RollsReus-tm6hu]

Didn’t even know the NHL had a combine

[@braxtondickerson5418]

My only thing is why don't they have the combine on ice

[@mrhenderson9477]

I think this test is more when it’s hard to see which is better. Not when there’s clearly someone who is better

[@jacobrjacob24]

Chicago struck gold but need it for sure although as a flyers fan I wish we could have him he’s gonna be a a even bigger name after a season or two

[@CraigsmokesonFridays]

Phil Kessel was showed up with a beer belly and just then just dominated on ice. He was a true beauty 🥲

[@user-lq8zl3mm4d]

Who in the right mind says yoiked? 😂😂

[@blue84freak]

How many Cups has McDavid won so far? I need to adjust my McDavid Cup Tracker I have in my house. I have Gretzky at 4. Sid/Malkin at 3. Lemieux/Jagr at 2 (Lemieux cancer diagnosis maybe hurt that number). Ovi at 1. I just need to adjust my McDavid number so someone please update me.

[@Dfpijgyt564s65sgt]

Combine and first year says he needs to hit the weight room, way too small.

[@star-iv]

I've heard that the combine is used to help identify potential injuries. Sam Bennett couldn't do a single pull up then needed shoulder surgery within a year

[@dpendsonwhat2441]

Uhh, I don’t think you understand the magnitude of even an ELC. These teams are investing millions into these players via contracts, scouting, training, etc. These combines are a necessity. Your opinion isn’t deep enough to understand.

[@cochese95]

Do they have a reaction test? If not they should. Use the light reaction test like race car drivers use.

[@cosmiccharlie1056]

Hockey combine and no ice in sight haha that's a joke in itself

[@jmassy86]

Did Gretzky even appear at something like this?!? Pretty sure he signed with the Indy Racers and when their league folded he went to Edmonton!

[@Sir_Sydney_live]

I agree with what you said fully

[@dominiccatalfanothehockeykid]

Same

[@canadianbacon8545]

Even how mcdavid is “decent”

[@Sir_Sydney_live]

@@canadianbacon8545 He's just being sarcastic if ur talking about the line he said

[@Nna-kv9wd]

Mcdavid notorious for just not trying in stuff like this

[@Eddie_King_Jr]

Gretzky would have done 0 pull-ups

[@woodywoodlstein9519]

He shouldn’t have even bothered. This was beneath him.

[@nicholasjohn11]

Came here to read comments about McDavid being “a decent player”… they did not disappoint.😂

[@tuckeri9915]

It’s very important to train both, can you imagine how much crazier bedard would be if he was just a bit more athletic. Leaving a lot on the table

[@matt_indy]

For a 17 year old his fitness and athleticism seem to be great.

[@L1bslay3r]

I guess they have a new McDavid picked out already lol

[@danielleward351]

I’m playing for the Meramac sharks for hockey

[@NichoLad4]

True, has yet to hit the ice and everyone’s still riding his ass

[@BrandonGiordano]

Thats true of every sport tbh. Every year or two in the nfl combine somebody runs an insane 40 but they arent always stars in the nfl

[@chpet1655]

Why do they even have a combine in hockey ? This isn’t football

[@toriamansfield2999]

I remember reading that Gretzky and Lemieux weren't always the most fit at training camp but once the season started, well...

[@HairDom]

Lemieux used to have a cigarette and cup of coffee before hitting the ice in his first few seasons. Sure fitness is important but skill and understanding of the game matters more.

[@zerorush9296]

@@HairDom Lemieux was also a once in a lifetime player.

[@peterhand5941]

Bro, "decent player"? Why are you hating on the dude for? 😂

[@jerejokinen3199]

Why are you not understanding sarcasm?

[@okyouknowwhatever]

@@jerejokinen3199 I think sometimes we forget there's tons of really really young people on the Internet. I don't know if YT comments sections has an age restriction, but there's a whole lot of 9 or 10 years olds out there surfing.

[@Kam216d]

Why the hell do they do a broad jump? 😂

[@sethdaniel1115]

I use to do the US developmental camps and would score the lowest on every test except for sprints. I still destroyed everyone at the regional and state levels, hockey IQ is much more valuable than athleticism.

[@Jesusluvz]

Gretzky couldn’t even bench 115 pounds or something like that. All these tests mean nothing for the game of hockey.

[@whipsandkicks91]

For this reason alone, I feel like select player should be invited to combines not everyone top player should not have to waste their time doing irrelevant exercises

[@nichtsistkostenlos6565]

So, I'm going to play devil's advocate a bit here, because I think you're right that the fitness tests are not causal indicators, but they are highly correlary, and they also show potential. If you score poorly on these tests, your potential for the highest level of play is lowered. Just because you can find outliers that don't necessarily fit the mold, doesn't mean the mold is bad, it just means it's imperfect, which we all know is the case.

[@kYA00h]

when going from amateur to professional level.. wouldnt it be nice if you already knew that your projected 18 year old draft pick whos only been playing against kids has the same VO2, lateral and backward skating speed as cale makar? thats important info.

[@hockeytraining]

They don't do on-ice testing unfortunately. That would make more sense

[@dvsflavors5463]

Idk if teams would’ve drafted him 1st cuz if u don’t try in the combine how r u gonna be in practice and team meetings

[@GdF420]

So true If combines existed in the 70's, The Great One would have finished last And Tom Brady was horrible in NFL combine as well

[@baron6984]

It is to get an idea of all aspects of the prospects athleticism but in hockey skill can beat speed and strength sometimes. Lots more of average-ish built nhl players than football. Those guys are specimens

[@chrisbauman2562]

Nah,the combine is to see where exactly you sit at a player and his stats are spot on. He's over hyped and unless he grows some marbles and realizes hitting and being aggressive is a part of hockey he's not going far at all

[@redman958]

Why do they have these combines?

[@AlexAnteroLammikko]

Realistically, its not for the top of the draft guys. Its for the we aren't quite sure where they should go guys. You have a late first rouunder to early second round guy and he put up huge fitness numbers, that puts him over the edge.

[@daveybraden]

So why do they still do it? Actual question.

[@SlimJiggins]

So we’re just gonna ignore that McDavid vertical? That might be the most unathletic thing I’ve ever seen him do hahaha

[@rivahkillah]

Same can be said about any combine tbh

[@AxeCheeks]

Wasn't it RNH who said something like "what does bench press have to do with hockey?" He's right.

[@Josh-mh3kl]

the combine is an insurance policy for the NHL. It is insurance that your body can handle the pressures put on it during an 82 game season.

[@ericstout4122]

Bro really called mcdavid decent 😂😭😭

[@goodmanwiseman303]

Phil Kessel and Zion Williamson determined to do it differently.

[@user-md3ij9oc9q]

The thing is to be Connor Bedard you can’t finish last. You don’t have to get the very best results at combine but to be elite at his sports takes some skill and dedication which guaranteed he will not be last

[@MeanStreamFraudCast]

I didn't even know this test or competition existed. I love hockey but its such a weird and silly and flimsy sport.

[@Trash6661]

I love hearing someone call mcdavid “decent”

[@tuttifrutti8576]

Fitness is the baseline that the skills are built on. I’ve noticed that after not doing sports for a few years it’s pretty hard to get into hockey 🤣

[@adammckenzie6074]

Mcdavids jump is miserable lol

[@Tm_Driver]

The test longevity and durability.

[@layedout447]

Wondering how many pull ups Sam Bennett can do now

[@iceman9426]

Mcdavid a "decent" player? This youtuber needs to go away. If there is 1000 games on, I will watch the oilers because of McDavid. He is a generational legend. He had a sit down with Gretzky and he even said same..

[@DrakeBrunette]

These combines are really only applicable to the NFL in my opinion… and even then you can find plenty of exceptions to the rule. But that’s a sport where your physical speed & strength being tested makes much more sense.

[@xJabro]

The combine has never pretended to be a scouting report or represents how good a player is. Its just a way for teams to get additional data.

[@Getrobbedbyfishbowlbedared]

He called Mcgod decent

[@Rorykohlert87]

Teams just wanna see if you are working. Obviously on ice play will carry more weight

[@user-fp3it9ns8g]

Descent? So the 4 players on the rangers he deaked on 1 leg where bad if he just 'descent'🤣🤣

[@snackalackbar]

Hockey players are known for being absolutely jacked, and they do not train for agility on the ground, sure being one of the best athletes in the world helps quite a bit, they train to be better at skating than anything else.

[@OWlsfordshire]

Please don't compare Bedard to McDavid. Bedard won't lead his team to be the laughing stock of the NHL while failing every year to get a cup. He's much more of a team player and thank god he's not being wasted on a canadian team.

[@JADiaz10]

I always thought this about other sports combines were pointless. You go thru all these workouts that really don’t tell you anything about the player.

[@crumbasyouare]

i just wanna know why knowing someones horizontal jump is relevant to hockey

[@Iconic_Kid]

“McGodly is decent”