VANCOUVER -- Connor Bedard will miss at least another six weeks because of a fractured jaw sustained on Jan. 5, Chicago Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said.
The rookie center resumed skating less than a week ago. Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft was hoping to face his hometown Vancouver Canucks on Monday, when the Blackhawks lost 2-0.
“He's devastated not to be here and playing, let alone just being here but he's on course on the recovery,” Richardson said. “It's going to be probably at least six weeks. It's bone settling.”
After the loss, Richardson reiterated Bedard isn't close to returning.
"It was 6-8 weeks at the beginning was what was said so like I don't know; you're never going to know, but talk to me in a month,” he said. “He's not going to be the back by then. There's no change; it’s the same so I don't know, six weeks from the start or from now, it's still in between the timeline.
"He [isn’t] coming back next week, which would be great, but it's not about him wanting to or not. It's just about the medical side of things and the doctors will let us know when he's ready to come back."
Bedard was injured when he was checked by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in the slot in the first period of Chicago’s 4-2 loss. The 18-year-old left the ice with his hand at his mouth but was back skating and doing some light shooting Jan. 16 while wearing a full face shield.
“Even though he's wearing a bubble in practice, he can't exert yet,” Richardson said. “He's not supposed to clinch too hard and let the bones heal with the surgery they did, and even wearing the shield, that's going to bang into your chin, so that's only going to help when his bones are healed and that’s the timeline.”
Bedard leads the Blackhawks and all NHL rookies with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games. On Jan. 4, he was named to the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game, which will be Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, four weeks after he was injured.
The NHL announced Monday that New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck and Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor were added to the roster for the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in place of the injured Bedard and Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel, who is also injured.
Richardson said he isn’t worried about Bedard being ready when he is eventually cleared to return to practice.
“He's going to do whatever he can to get back earlier but that's a doctor's decision and when they do scans and X-rays to make sure that the bone is healed then that'll be the time to ramp up the on-ice stuff to get him ready,” Richardson said. “He's an eager guy. He's going to do everything he can, so when he's ready to come back, he'll be ready to come back.”
The Blackhawks (14-31-2) are 3-5-0 without Bedard and last in the Central Division.
