MONTREAL — Elite teenage hockey players wearing suits, ties and anxious looks were sitting in the stands at Bell Centre and waiting for their names to be called at the N.H.L. draft Thursday night. In a departure from most drafts, no prospect had established himself as the best in his year and rumors and speculation swirled. The last time there had been any real suspense around the first overall pick dated back to the wooden-stick era.
Another teenager was wearing an indigo golf shirt, matching slacks and a toothy, relaxed smile in Row B of Section 103. Connor Bedard, a center with the Regina Pats, scored 51 goals in 62 games, the second most in the Western Hockey League this season.