Connor Bedard is heading to Sweden.

The 15-year-old, who is slated to begin his WHL career with the Regina Pats when the league gets around to playing, has joined the HV71 junior program in Sweden, so he can keep training at a high level and be ready when the WHL does get back into action.

Bedard was selected by the Pats with the first overall pick in this year’s bantam draft, because he has been declared as a player with “exceptional status”, he can play for the team this season as a 15-year-old.

The move to Sweden has been endorsed by Pats GM John Paddock, who said it’s another opportunity to continue to train at a high level with players older than Bedard, something he’s being doing for most of his young life.

“My understanding is there’s seven or eight players on the Under-18 Team from this organization, that are national team players,” Paddock said. “So again that’s what he’s been doing and the environment he’s been in and thriving in each year as he starts to prepare, and he’s going to continue that,” Paddock said.

As it stands right now, the league has a December 4th start-up date, but many hurdles need to be cleared before that can happen.

If that goal is met Paddock says Bedard will be back in Canada around November 1st to quarantine for two weeks before training camp begins.