Connor Bedard, the highly touted center for the Chicago Blackhawks, took a significant step in his recovery from a right shoulder injury by participating in part of Tuesday’s practice. The injury occurred during a face-off with just 0.8 seconds remaining in a game against the St. Louis Blues on December 12, 2023, in which the Blackhawks lost 3-2. At the time of his injury, Bedard was making headlines across the league, ranking among the NHL’s leaders with 19 goals and 25 assists in just 31 games.
After practice, Bedard expressed optimism about his recovery, stating, “I feel really good. Obviously, getting to get out with the guys a little bit today and kind of just keep ramping up. It feels really good though.” Although he has been ruled out for Wednesday night’s match against the Blues, Head Coach Jeff Blashill indicated that Bedard could make a return as early as this weekend, with games scheduled against the Washington Capitals on Friday and the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Progress on the Ice and Player Updates
“It’s great to have him back out there, kind of involved in some of the team drills,” Blashill remarked about Bedard’s participation. He highlighted that the drills were focused on flow and that the coaching staff will continue to monitor Bedard’s progress closely. “It was great to see him, great to see the jump that he has,” Blashill added.
In addition to Bedard’s return, Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar was also seen on the ice prior to practice. Nazar is recovering from an injury sustained when he was hit in the face by a puck during a game against Ottawa on December 20, 2023. He was placed on injured reserve last weekend. Blashill noted, “Good for Frankie to be skating. He’s further away than Connor, but it’s a good step in the right direction for sure.”
Nazar, who is in his second full NHL season, has been emerging as one of Chicago’s young stars. Drafted 13th overall in 2022, he has recorded six goals and 15 assists in 33 games.
Bedard’s Olympic Aspirations and Future Outlook
The Blackhawks have seen some success in Bedard’s absence, winning three consecutive games to improve their record to 4-6-1 since his injury. When asked about his return to game action, Bedard remained hopeful, stating, “Hopefully pretty soon I can get back out there.”
Bedard’s impressive start to the season had positioned him as a potential candidate for Team Canada at the upcoming Winter Olympics. However, he was not included in the roster announced last week, a decision he acknowledged with some disappointment. “There’s disappointment, for sure,” he stated. “Everyone in Canada would want to be on that team, or any country that’s going. But there’s so many great players. They got tough decisions to make, so obviously you respect that.”
Despite his exclusion, there remains a possibility that Bedard could be added to the Olympic roster as an injury replacement. As the Blackhawks and their fans await his full return to the ice, Bedard’s journey continues to be closely followed in the hockey community.
