The Chicago Blackhawks announced Saturday that they had placed rookie Connor Bedard on injured reserve due to a fractured jaw sustained during Friday night's game against the New Jersey Devils.
The incident occurred in the first period when Bedard was maneuvering with the puck into the opponent's zone and received a hit from Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. The collision caused the rookie to immediately clutch his jaw before heading to the locker room and didn't return.
Although the Blackhawks expressed disapproval of the hit, coach Luke Richardson refrained from labeling it as a dirty play. Richardson suggested that it was an unfortunate timing issue, saying that Bedard was in a vulnerable position as he reached for the puck, and Smith's contact was not intentional.
"I think Connor was reaching for a puck and didn't see him because he was behind another one of their players. I don't think he stepped up on him," said Richardson.
"I think he just kind of stopped, and Connor kind of ran headfirst right into him. I don't think there was intent to hit there or anything. I think he was just playing hard at the blue line and trying to keep the puck out on the penalty kill."
Although no penalty was called on Smith for the hit, a scuffle ensued. In the second period, Smith and Chicago forward Nick Foligno engaged in a fight that lasted 75 seconds, resulting in roughing penalties for both players.
Foligno then exited the game due to a fractured left finger. He, too, has been placed on injured reserve and joined the growing list of injured forwards for the Blackhawks.
Facing a dire need for reinforcements, the Blackhawks acquired Rem Pitlick in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins and claimed Zach Sanford off waivers from the Arizona Coyotes to their roster.
Blackhawks' growing injury list
Eight of the Blackhawks’ top 12 forwards and their primary defenseman, Seth Jones, are currently sidelined. The list of injured players includes Taylor Hall, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou, Anthony Beauvillier, Taylor Raddysh and Joey Anderson.
Regarding Bedard and Foligno's injuries, Richardson revealed that there's no clear timeline for their return. When asked about Bedard's potential concussion protocol status, the coach said he didn't have that information but expected updates in the near future.
"We're not sure how long and Nick will be. It's just so fresh today this morning to get our people to look at him and make decisions going forward," Richardson said..
"So we just have to do what we've been doing, scrambling our lineup together and mixing up the chemistry. As soon as we seem to find a little something, someone goes down."
Chicago’s game against New Jersey proved to be one of the season's most contentious encounters, with 64 penalty minutes between the two teams. The Blackhawks racked up 38 minutes in penalties and ended up with a 2-4 defeat.
Notably, Bedard had been celebrated as the youngest player ever named to the NHL All-Star team, a testament to his stellar performance as the 2023 No. 1 overall pick. The 18-year-old has lived up to the hype, showcasing his talent with 15 goals and 18 assists across 39 games, including memorable moments such as his lacrosse-style goal in St. Louis on December 23.