BREAKING: Connor Bedard Refuses to Play for Team Canada

Connor Bedard has quickly become Canada's sweetheart over the past year with his stellar play in international tournaments. However, he may have just ruined that reputation with his latest move.

Fans were heartbroken this evening when it was revealed by NHL insider Jeff Marek that draft sensation Connor Bedard wouldn't be playing for his home nation of Canada in the upcoming Men's World Hockey Championships. Bedard had the option to play for either the U18 team, or the Men's team, and chose to participate in neither.

This comes as a shock to many fans who were excited to see Bedard share the stage with grown men for the first time. It looks like we'll all have to wait until his NHL debut for that.

His reasoning for refusing to play is unknown at this time, but it has been speculated that he is trying to prevent getting injured ahead of the draft, where he is the presumptive 1st overall pick.

Jeff Marek on Twitter

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