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Kristen Shilton, ESPN NHL reporter
Connor Bedard is back — to skating, at least.
The Chicago Blackhawks‘ rookie returned to the ice on Monday just 10 days after fracturing his jaw in a collision with New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith and seven days post-surgery to fix the ailment.
Bedard — the Blackhawks’ first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft — sported a full cage and no-contact sweater for the session with Chicago’s other injured players Nick Foligno and Sam Savoie. The original timeline for Bedard’s return to game action was set at 6-8 weeks.
Blackhawks’ head coach Luke Richardson said on Monday there is “no change” at the moment to Bedard’s timeline for return but added that the freshman was “eager” to get out there anyway.
“He’s been begging,” said Richardson. “They [the doctors] said it was okay, but he was given specific instructions. He’s not allowed to take slapshots; so, he’s not allowed to really clench [the jaw]. If they see that, they might pull the rug out from under him…it’s just good for him to get moving. He just has to be careful with the early stages of clenching.”
Richardson clarified Bedard’s jaw isn’t completely wired shut at this stage but has elastic bands in place to ensure it heals properly.
The fact Bedard wasted no time jumping back into the fray didn’t surprise his teammates.
“I didn’t even know he was going to skate today,” said fellow rookie Kevin Korchinski. “But he’s itching to get back. It’s probably the longest break he’s had off hockey for a while.”
Even Blackhawks’ GM Kyle Davidson acknowledged earlier this month that the 18-year-old Bedard would be hard to keep on the sidelines for long.
“I’m sure he’ll be pushing the envelope,” Davidson told reporters last week. “But I think he also understands it’s not something to mess with. He doesn’t want to force it too soon and miss more time. That would be not good for anyone, and so he won’t want to do that. We’ll make sure he’s put in a good spot and understands the process of healing and being able to take contact and those sorts of things.”
Bedard paces all NHL rookies with 15 goals and 33 points this season and was named to the NHL All-Star Game one day prior to his injury. Davidson didn’t rule out the possibility of Bedard appearing at the event in Toronto from Feb. 1-3 even if he couldn’t fully participate, but the organization’s focus is clearly on ensuring a full recovery for their star player.
“I’m sure as things go along and he feels more capable of doing things on the ice, he’ll be excited to get back,” said Davison. “All [is] going well right now.”