Conor Bedard | Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
National Hockey League (NHL) Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard has been placed on the injured list due to a broken jaw, the club announced.
The number one draft pick got injured in last night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. In one of the episodes, in the first period of the match, Bedard skated into the zone with the puck, but “Devils” defender Brennan Smith used a power play against him. Bedard fell to the ice after the incident, but then got up clutching his face and headed for the bench. The striker did not return to the field. The Blackhawks ran tests today and found Bedard had broken his jaw. The team did not reveal how long the player’s rehabilitation will be.
The 18-year-old Bedard, who is one of the NHL’s brightest talents in recent years, has lived up to expectations so far. He has collected 33 (15+18) points in the first 39 games of his career and is not only the most productive rookie, but also the most productive player in the ranks of the Blackhawks. Bedard, like the representative of the Chicago club, was selected to participate in the All-Star Game, which will be held in Toronto from February 1-3.
The Chicago team, despite Bedard’s excellent performance, has been “sliding” and with 24 points in 39 games occupies the penultimate place in the league. The team has been seriously plagued by injuries, as currently nine (!) regular hockey players are on the list of injured players, eight of whom are forwards. After last night’s game against “Devils”, together with Bedards, veteran Nik Foligno also ended up in the “infirmary”, who suffered a broken finger on his left hand.
Connor Bedard heads to the dressing room after taking a big hit from Brendan Smith. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/YqLPT6pFNT
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 6, 2024
