Connor Bedard injury Blackhawks

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Connor Bedard injured his right shoulder on the final faceoff vs. St. Louis with 0.8 seconds left
  • Bedard has been ruled out for Saturday’s game vs Detroit, with evaluation ongoing
  • Read below for Bedard injury video and coach’s comments on his status

The Blackhawks are holding their breath after Connor Bedard left Friday’s 3-2 loss to St. Louis with a right shoulder injury.

Bedard went down on the game’s final faceoff with just 0.8 seconds remaining. Blues center Brayden Schenn knocked him down on the draw, and Bedard immediately grabbed at his shoulder before heading straight to the locker room.

The worst part was Bedard wincing in pain and mouthing obvious expletives as he headed off the ice. Check out the clip below:

Bedard Injury Video

Here’s a closer look at the play right off the face-off draw:

Head coach Jeff Blashill confirmed after the game that Bedard won’t play Saturday when Chicago hosts the Red Wings.

“I think it’s a freak accident, to be honest with you,” Blashill said. The Backhawks didn’t have full medical information yet and wouldn’t speculate on severity or timeline until the team gets more answers.

The Blackhawks expect more details later this weekend, probably by Monday.

https://x.com/BlackhawksFocus/status/1999685411359314350

Bedard had two assists in the loss, bringing him to 19 goals and 25 assists through 31 games this season. He entered Friday’s game ranked fifth in the NHL in points.

This isn’t Bedard’s first time getting banged up at the NHL level. Bedsy missed games earlier in his career with a fractured jaw from a hit against New Jersey, but that’s unrelated to this shoulder problem.

The timing of Bedard’s new injury stinks for both the player and the team.

The Blackhawks are finally relevant again this season, sitting just one point out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Bedard, meanwhile, is having his best season and playing himself into a spot with Team Canada at the Olympics.

After Saturday’s game against Detroit, the Blackhawks head to Eastern Canada for a three-game road trip to face Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Whether Bedard joins them depends on what the doctors find over the next few days.

Blackhawks fans are hoping Monday’s update brings good news. Given how bad it looked in the moment, anything short of a long-term absence would be a relief. But with the way Bedard was moving off the ice, there’s genuine concern this could be a serious injury.