History was made earlier this week as for the first time in its history, the Western Hockey League has had a player granted exceptional status. 15-year-old forward Connor Bedard, a British Columbia product, received the designation from Hockey Canada.
What does exceptional status mean? Well, rather than being limited to a certain number of games as a 15-year-old Bedard is able to become a full-time WHLer next season.
From the WHL’s release:
Exceptional player status is granted to a player whose qualities not only on the ice, but as a person, deem the player deserving of the rare privilege of participating in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) at an early age.