Blackhawks Connor Bedard begins tearing it up with his brand new team

Today in Budapest, Hungary, Team Canada showcased its prowess in a pre-tournament exhibition game, delivering a compelling performance ahead of the IIHF World Hockey Championships.

The team, featuring a mix of seasoned players and exciting new talents, blanked Hungary 4-0, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating tournament.

The game saw Connor Bedard, the young star who recently joined alongside former Chicago Blackhawks player Brandon Hagel for this competition, make a significant impact.

Bedard, alongside Andrew Mangiapane, each contributed two assists, proving instrumental in the team's dominant win. Their performance was a highlight in a game that saw Team Canada completely outplay their opponents.

The Canadian squad, which also includes Bowen Byram, Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko, and Owen Power, was relentless from the start, outshooting Hungary 66-21. This statistic alone underscores the disparity between the two teams and Canada's aggressive approach in the pre-tournament matchup.

In goal, Jordan Binnington was solid, stopping all 21 shots he faced, contributing to the shutout.

Meanwhile, Hungary's goaltenders struggled under the pressure. Starter Bence Balizs managed to save 26 of 28 shots before being replaced by Dominik Horvath, who faced an onslaught, saving 36 of 38 shots in relief.

As detailed in a recent match report, "Colton Parayko, Bowen Byram, and Owen Power also scored for the defending world champions, who outshot the hosts 66-21.

Connor Bedard and Andrew Mangiapane added two assists each. Hungary goaltender Bence Balizs made 26 saves on 28 shots before being replaced halfway through the game by Dominik Horvath. Horvath stopped 36 of 38 shots in relief."

For more details on the game and additional insights, you can read the full report on TSN's website here: Canada blanks Hungary in world championship pre-tournament game.

Looking ahead, Team Canada's first official match at the championships will take place in Czechia against Great Britain on May 11th.

If their pre-tournament form is anything to go by, fans have every reason to be excited about Canada's prospects at this year's World Championships.