Controversial Former NHL Referee Tim Peel Calls Out Connor Bedard

Tim Peel isn't one to hold back on his opinion, and now he's shared a shocking take on young stars Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard.

Last season, Connor Bedard hit the ground running in the NHL, with the No. 1 overall pick starring for the Chicago Blackhawks, and in 2024/25, it's been San Jose's top rookie Macklin Celebrini that has done the same.

While most fans simply appreciate two young stars stepping up early in their careers and making a name for themselves in the face of immense pressure, Tim Peel has instead decided to compare the two, and in the process he has called out Bedard in a huge way.

At this point, we may be looking at a career long rivalry in the Western Conference akin to Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, but instead of uplifting both players, Peel instead decided to label Bedard as overrated, just 106 games into his NHL career with absolutely no talent around him.

In that time, No. 98 has still managed to put up 32 goals and 94 points, which is awfully impressive for a 19-year old, and with the size, skill and work ethic to be a star in the NHL, there's not many people that would be respected for calling him overrated.

At 18-years of age, Celebrini has been fantastic as well, with 12 goals and 27 points in just 28 games played thus far, as he and Will Smith alongside goaltender Yaroslav Askarov have turned the Sharks into a very fun team to watch.

Ultimately, both young players are incredibly exciting and represent the future of the NHL and Hockey Canada, so while the debate between the two will no doubt rage on for quite some time, most fans will simply choose to enjoy their work as their careers are just getting started.

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