Chicago Blackhawks player Connor Bedard underwent jaw surgery and will miss six to eight weeks of action as a result.
The team confirmed the information and timelines for the 18-year-old hockey player on Wednesday. That means he will miss the NHL All-Star Game on February 3 in Toronto, a big blow for the Bettman circuit.
Bedard was injured when he was tackled hard by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith midway through the first period of last Friday night’s game. The top pick in the latest NHL draft was tackled while carrying the puck toward the offensive zone.
Although the Blackhawks have struggled so far this season, even slipping to last place in the Western Conference Central, Bedard has been impressive. He has scored a team-high 15 goals so far and has 18 assists in 39 games.
The Blackhawks infirmary is overflowing: Nick Foligno (broken finger on left hand), Anthony Beauvillier (left wrist), Tyler Johnson (right foot) and Andreas Athanasiou (groin) are currently there.
Joey Anderson and Taylor Raddysh, however, returned to play Tuesday night in the 2-1 loss against the Edmonton Oilers.
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