Scout excited about top prospect
Regina top prospect’s talent blossomed over nine years as Calvano’s star pupil
The Regina Pats are still getting to know Connor Bedard, but Jon Calvano doesn’t require an introduction.
The Pats’ B.c.-based scout has been working with Bedard for the past nine years in his capacity as head coach of the Vancouver Vipers spring hockey team. He’s also the founder and program director of Elite Level Development (ELD), a Vancouver-based training school where Bedard is the star pupil.
Their long history together gave Calvano a head start in evaluating the young phenom before Regina selected him first overall in the 2020 bantam draft.
“I’m excited because I know he’s driven,” said Calvano, who also coached Bedard two seasons ago with the West Vancouver Warriors bantam prep team. “I know his goals are pretty high but he’ll never admit that. He has his own personal pressure he puts on himself. That’s what drives every elite-level athlete.”
Assuming COVID-19 doesn’t interrupt the 2020-21 season, Calvano can’t wait to see Bedard perform with the Pats at age 15.
Earlier this spring, Bedard became the first player to receive exceptional status from Hockey Canada for early entry into the WHL.
Calvano wasn’t surprised, having already witnessed Bedard’s “it factor.”
“I’m just glad the Western league and the CHL recognized a special player,” Calvano said. “There’s a lot of great players that didn’t get exceptional status prior to him. He sets a pretty high standard. I know it was a goal of his and he earned it. For me being in Regina (with him) is great. It’s definitely a great opportunity because I’m sure a lot of players are going to want to come play with him.”
Calvano has seen it first-hand at ELD, which boasts a star-studded client list that includes NHL stars like Ryan Nugent-hopkins, Morgan Rielly and Mathew Barzal, just to name a few.
Some of those players were training at ELD about five years ago when Bedard first stepped on the ice with them.
“It was funny because all the guys were like, ‘Who’s this little guy? He’s crazy good,’ ” recalled Calvano, who also invited Bedard to participate last year in the Boys of Summer charity four-on-four pro league.
The competition featured several Nhlers, including former Pats star Jordan Weal.
“There’s not too many 14-yearolds I would give the green light to because I know how sticky the pros get with who’s on the ice with them,” said Calvano. “But they were happy and engaging with him. Guys wanted him on their line. They couldn’t believe he was only 14. It was ridiculous the stuff he was doing. It was no-hit but they’re big guys and they take time and space away from you ... so he had to be creative. He didn’t miss a beat.”
Calvano first saw Bedard elevate his game while coaching him in a spring tournament at age 7. The Vipers were pummelled by the host Toronto team before they met again in the final. Bedard’s squad lost in overtime, but he proved a point.
“Connor was just on a mission,” Calvano recalled. “He figured out how to play at a different level. When he came home … he just worked harder than everybody else . ... He lived it.”
That’s how Bedard developed an elite-level shot, which has become his trademark. It came from firing thousands of pucks on a shooting range his dad built in their backyard.
“I remember (his mom) sending videos of Connor shooting pucks in a rainstorm,” Calvano recalled. “I’d be surprised if he shoots less than 1,500 pucks a day. It would take a normal kid a month to get what he does in a day.”
That said, Bedard’s shot isn’t his only weapon.
“He can score so many different ways, but what’s underappreciated is his vision and his playmaking ability,” Calvano added. “You really saw it when he was playing with the pro guys. When you’re 14 and you’re going on a 2-on-1 with Tyson Jost, you feel like you need to pass him the puck. You really saw how he was deceptive with the shot and he would feed a pass to Tyson or another player. That really made him (an all-around) threat.”
I’m excited because I know he’s driven. I know his goals are pretty high, but he’ll never admit that. He has his own personal pressure.