The entire hockey world was tuned in to the 4 Nations Face-Off title game between Team USA and Team Canada on Thursday night, and fans everywhere were treated to an instant classic. Canada came out on top 3-2 in overtime thanks to a game-winning goal from Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid.

McDavid is widely considered the best player of this current generation, but the best player of the next generation was tuned into the final as well. Chicago Blackhawks prodigy Connor Bedard was enjoying the show, and he knows that the game could have gone either way between the two fierce rivals, via CHGO Blackhawks.

“You watch those games and how close it is, each roster, if it was a best-of-seven series, it would go to Game 7 overtime,” Bedard said. “It's so good for the sport how competitive a lot of countries are, and obviously, that's a big rivalry that's in a really good place right now. To think about, there's gonna be the Olympics next year too, and it's gonna be even more ramped up.”

Bedard is a Canadian himself, so it's safe to assume that he may have a say in the rivalry going forward. He wasn't a part of the 4 Nations team this season, but there is still a strong chance that he is on the Olympic team next winter.

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If Bedard continues to play at the level that he has shown early in his career, it will be very hard for Jon Cooper and the rest of the Canadian coaching staff to keep him off of the roster.

As an 18-year old rookie, Bedard won the Calder Memorial Trophy after scoring 61 points in 68 games. He has been very good as a second-year player as well, notching 49 points in 55 games for an improving Chicago squad.

Adding a talent like Connor Bedard to this already loaded Canadian roster would make them the clear favorite heading into the Olympics.

McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Cale Makar are arguably the three best players in the world at the moment, giving Team Canada all the firepower it needs to get the job done. With Bedard and a heap of other stars in the mix, they could have a juggernaut up north.