If you’ve spent any time watching hockey lately, you know the name. Connor Bedard is basically the most hyped prospect since McDavid. He’s got that ridiculous release and a hockey IQ that makes grown men look like they’re skating in slow motion. But when people ask, where is Connor Bedard from, the answer isn’t just a pin on a map.
It’s about a specific vibe in British Columbia.
He hails from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Specifically, he grew up in the Lynn Valley area. It’s a place where the mountains literally loom over your backyard and the rain is just a part of the uniform. Honestly, if you want to understand why he plays the way he does, you have to look at the North Shore.
The Lynn Valley Roots
Connor wasn't born into some glitzy hockey dynasty. His dad, Tom, was a logger. That’s about as "West Coast" as it gets. His mom, Melanie, and his sister, Madisen, rounded out a family that was tight-knit and, frankly, incredibly grounded.
They lived on a street in North Vancouver that was crawling with kids. You know the type—bikes everywhere, street hockey games that lasted until the streetlights came on, and a general sense of being outdoors 24/7.
- Birth Date: July 17, 2005.
- Hometown: North Vancouver, B.C.
- The Early "Hate": Believe it or not, Connor actually hated his first power-skating lessons. Madisen loved it; Connor wanted nothing to do with it until he finally got a stick in his hands.
Once he had that stick? Game over. He became obsessed. There are stories of him bringing his hockey stick on family vacations to Hawaii. Imagine being on a tropical beach and seeing a kid practicing his stick-handling in the sand. That’s the North Van kid for you.
Where He Actually Learned to Play
When we talk about where a player is from, we’re also talking about their hockey "home." For Bedard, that was the North Shore Winter Club (NSWC).
If you aren't from the Vancouver area, you might not realize how legendary this place is. It’s a private club, but it’s more of a factory for elite talent. He spent countless hours there, not just in structured practices, but in what they call "Open Hockey." Basically, it’s a free-for-all where kids of all ages just play.
He also played for the West Van Academy. This is where things got serious. By the time he was 14, he was playing U18 hockey. He was a kid playing against near-adults and he was absolutely torching them.
The Exceptional Status Milestone
In 2020, Connor became the first player from Western Canada to be granted "exceptional status." This meant he could play in the Western Hockey League (WHL) at age 15. Most kids have to wait until they're 16.
"My parents kept it pretty low key," his sister Madisen once said. "I always knew Connor was talented, but they just wanted things to be normal at home."
Keeping things "normal" while your son is being called the "future of hockey" at age 13 is no small feat. But that North Vancouver upbringing—the rain, the mountains, the quiet suburbs—seemed to keep him from getting a big head.
Why North Vancouver Matters
There is something in the water in North Vancouver right now. It's not just Bedard. Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, is also from the same area. They actually train together in the summers.
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North Vancouver isn't a massive city. It’s a rugged, beautiful suburb. The commute to Vancouver involves crossing either the Lions Gate Bridge or the Second Narrows, which anyone from there will tell you is a nightmare. Maybe that’s why these kids stay on the North Shore and just grind.
When the "atmospheric river" hit BC in 2024 and caused massive flooding, Bedard—who was already in Chicago by then—was reportedly genuinely worried about his family home in Lynn Valley. Even with the NHL fame, his heart is still very much in that rainy suburb.
From the North Shore to Regina
While he's from BC, a huge part of his development happened in Regina, Saskatchewan.
When the Regina Pats took him first overall in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft, his mom, Melanie, moved with him. They lived in an apartment in Regina so he could have a sense of home while playing in a league where the bus rides are long and the winters are brutal.
Saskatchewan is about as different from North Vancouver as you can get. No mountains. No ocean. Just flat prairies and cold that bites into your bones. But he thrived there. He broke records. He became a local hero.
The Statistics That Defined His Journey
Before he was a Chicago Blackhawk, he was putting up video game numbers in the WHL.
- 71 goals in just 57 games during his final season in Regina.
- 143 points in that same season.
- 9 hat tricks in one year.
It’s funny to think that the kid who put up those numbers started out as a toddler who didn't even want to go to skating lessons in a local North Van rec center.
What Most People Get Wrong
People assume that because he’s from an area like North Vancouver, he must have had a silver-spoon upbringing. While the North Shore has some very wealthy pockets (looking at you, British Properties), Lynn Valley is more of a middle-class, family-oriented neighborhood.
His dad, Tom, worked hard in the logging industry. His sister was a competitive gymnast. This wasn't a family that sat around talking about fame; they were a family that valued work.
The fact that he wears #98 is also a bit of a North Van legend. He just liked the look of it. It wasn't some calculated marketing move. He just wanted to be different.
The Family Impact
You can't talk about where Connor is from without mentioning his late grandfather, Gareth. He was one of Connor’s biggest fans. When Gareth passed away in a car accident in 2021, it hit Connor incredibly hard.
In his next game after the tragedy, Connor scored two goals. He’s always been someone who lets his play do the talking, a trait many attribute to his West Coast, "get it done" roots.
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Summary of the Journey
- Hometown: North Vancouver (Lynn Valley), BC.
- Youth Club: North Shore Winter Club.
- Academy: West Van Academy Prep.
- Junior Team: Regina Pats (WHL).
- Draft: 1st Overall, 2023 (Chicago Blackhawks).
If you're looking for actionable insights on how he got here, it’s pretty simple: he used his environment. He practiced in his backyard in the rain. He used the local North Shore rinks to his advantage. He stayed grounded through a family that refused to treat him like a superstar until he actually was one.
To really follow in those footsteps, look at the local training programs in the Lower Mainland of BC, specifically the spring programs like the Vancouver Vipers or the Junior Canucks, which are known for high-level exposure.
To stay updated on his progress or to see how his hometown continues to influence him, keep an eye on his off-season training clips usually filmed at the North Shore Winter Club. It’s where the best in the world go back to remember where they started.