CHICAGO -- Mathew Barzal has known Connor Bedard for years, and the New York Islanders forward is disappointed he won’t get to play against the the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on Friday.
“I would like to have had him out here,” Barzal said of the injured center prior to the Islanders facing Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks at United Center (8:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NBCSCH, TVAS).
Barzal was born in Coquitlam, British Columbia, approximately 40 minutes east of Vancouver. Bedard is from North Vancouver.
“Obviously don’t want to see a guy like that get hurt on a hit like that. I was looking forward to it, to be honest with you,” Barzal said. “Yeah, (I’ve been) seeing him grow up since he was 12, 13 years old, so happy for him that he’s been lighting it up so extensively in junior and even in the NHL now. Definitely would have liked to have him out there tonight.”
Bedard sustained a fractured jaw on a hit from New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in the slot in the first period of a 4-2 loss at Prudential Center on Jan. 5. He left the ice with his hand at his mouth.
The 18-year-old, who had surgery three days later, is expected to miss another 5-7 weeks. Bedard resumed skating Monday, but Chicago coach Luke Richardson said the timeline for his return remains unchanged.
Bedard leads all NHL rookies and the Blackhawks 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, set for Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Richardson said he was unsure if Bedard would attend the All-Star Weekend festivities if he’s unable to play; that would be four weeks after his injury.
“Everyone talks about his shot, which is obviously elite, but he has a really long stick that allows him to do certain things with deception,” Barzal said of Bedard.
“He just has a bag of tricks. He’s got new moves that you really haven’t seen. (Edmonton Oilers captain Connor) McDavid came in, he had new moves. ‘Sid’ (Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby) came in, ‘Ovi’ (Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin) came in and had new moves. I feel like Connor’s coming in and he’s got different tricks and different moves. So, yeah, I feel his skill set is just very unique.”
Barzal will have to wait for his on-ice reunion with Bedard until at least April 2, when the Blackhawks are scheduled to visit the Islanders at UBS Arena.
Barzal said he talks to Bedard once in a while and kept an eye on what Bedard was doing through his first NHL games. He said the two also skate a few times a week in the summer.
“He’s a great kid. Obviously a super high-end talent,” Barzal said. “He’s going to be a good player in this league.”
