Connor Bedard made the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) record books on Wednesday as he became the highest drafted player in league history when the Chicago Blackhawks selected him first overall at the 2023 NHL Draft.
Bedard surpassed Yale Hockey Academy alum and current Colorado Avalanche defender Bowen Byram who was selected fourth overall at the 2019 NHL Draft.
That wasn’t the only CSSHL record set Wednesday as for the first time four CSSHL alumni were selected in the first 15 picks of the draft with Bedard (1st), Nate Danielson (9th), Zach Benson (13th) and Matthew Wood (15th) all hearing their names called early. The Nashville Predators selection of Tanner Molendyk (24th) gave the CSSHL five first round NHL picks, tying the league record from 2021.
This marked the third straight draft a Northern Alberta Xtreme (NAX) forward was selected ninth overall as Danielson joins Dylan Guenther (2021) and Matthew Savoie (2022). NAX now holds the CSSHL record for most players selected inside the Top 10.
With four players drafted in this years draft Yale Hockey Academy surpassed Okanagan Hockey Academy for most alumni drafted into the NHL in CSSHL history.
As a league, the CSSHL saw a record 25 former student-athletes selected between Wednesday and Thursday. With a total of 224 players selected at this years draft, 11.2% of players selected played in the CSSHL.
In total, 127 CSSHL alumni have now being selected at the NHL Draft since 2012. 28 of those have gone on to play NHL games.
Number of Players Selected Per Draft
- 2023 – 25
- 2021 – 23
- 2022 – 21
- 2020 – 20
- 2019 – 7
- 2016 – 7
- 2018 – 6
- 2017 – 6
- 2015 – 3
- 2014 – 3
- 2012 – 3
- 2013 – 2
Most Players Selected from a CSSHL Program In League History
- Yale Hockey Academy – 18
- Okanagan Hockey Academy – 15
- Northern Alberta Xtreme – 15
- Pursuit of Excellence/RHA Kelowna – 14
- BWC Academy – 12
- Edge School – 12
- Delta Hockey Academy – 10
- RHA Winnipeg – 10
- OHA Edmonton – 9
- North Shore Warriors/West Van Academy – 5
- St. George’s School – 4
- Notre Dame Hounds – 2
- CIH Academy – 1
- Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy – 1
- Mount Academy – 1
- Pacific Coast Hockey Academy – 1
- Prairie Hockey Academy – 1
11 CSSHL Programs saw student-athletes selected at this years draft with NAX, St. George’s School and Yale Hockey Academy all having four players selected. BWC Academy (3), CIH Academy, Delta Hockey Academy (2), Edge School, Mount Academy, North Shore Warriors (3), OHA Edmonton, and RHA Winnipeg were the other CSSHL programs with players selected.
| Round | Overall | Name | Position | NHL Team | CSSHL Team |
| 1 | 1 | Connor Bedard | F | Chicago Blackhawks | North Shore Warriors |
| 1 | 9 | Nate Danielson | F | Detroit Red Wings | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 1 | 13 | Zach Benson | F | Buffalo Sabres | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 1 | 15 | Matthew Wood | F | Nashville Predators | North Shore Warriors |
| 1 | 24 | Tanner Molendyk | D | Nashville Predators | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 2 | 40 | Andrew Cristall | F | Washington Capitals | St. George’s School |
| 2 | 48 | Etienne Morin | D | Calgary Flames | CIH Academy |
| 2 | 51 | Carson Bjarnason | G | Philadelphia Flyers | RHA Winnipeg |
| 2 | 57 | Lukas Dragicevic | D | Seattle Kraken | Delta Hockey Academy |
| 3 | 78 | Koehn Ziemmer | F | LA Kings | OHA Edmonton |
| 3 | 89 | Sawyer Mynio | D | Vancouver Canucks | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 4 | 102 | Terrell Goldsmith | D | Arizona Coyotes | Delta Hockey Academy |
| 4 | 108 | Hoyt Stanley | D | Ottawa Senators | St. George’s School |
| 4 | 122 | Cam Squires | F | New Jersey Devils | Mount Academy |
| 4 | 123 | Luca Cagnoni | D | San Jose Sharks | BWC Academy |
| 5 | 141 | Scott Ratzlaff | G | Buffalo Sabres | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 5 | 148 | Kaden Hammell | D | Seattle Kraken | North Shore Warriors |
| 5 | 151 | Thomas Milic | G | Winnipeg Jets | BWC Academy |
| 5 | 160 | Justin Kipkie | D | Arizona Coyotes | Edge School |
| 6 | 171 | Aiden Celebrini | D | Vancouver Canucks | BWC Academy |
| 7 | 200 | Brett Hyland | F | Washington Capitals | Northern Alberta Xtreme |
| 7 | 201 | Emmitt Finnie | F | Detroit Red Wings | Yale Hockey Academy |
| 7 | 204 | Owen Beckner | F | Ottawa Senators | St. George’s School |
| 7 | 210 | Connor Levis | F | Winnipeg Jets | St. George’s School |
| 7 | 218 | Aiden Fink | F | Nashville Predators | Northern Alberta Xtreme |