Chicago has dispatched its team chef, a.k.a. Gravylady, to make sure the NHL's top rookie has ample healthy, tasty — and liquid — nutrients.
The Chicago Blackhawks are already "souping up" the recovery of NHL rookie scoring leader Connor Bedard following surgery this week to repair his broken jaw.
This seems like a custom job of balancing nutritional and culinary mechanics.
Bedard is expected to miss six to eight weeks after sustaining the injury on an open-ice hit from Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in New Jersey in a 4-2 loss last Friday. With his jaw immobilized, the immediate challenge Bedard faces is eating.
A patient with a broken jaw can only sip liquids while the jaw is still "wired" or banded shut. Rugged Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi knows from experience.
The 31-year-old missed almost two months with a broken jaw last season after being hit by a shot in a game against the Rangers in New York. He struggled to keep weight on his imposing 6-foot-6, 229-pound frame.
"Honestly, keeping your weight on and eating healthy," said Tinordi, whose mouth area was immobilized by crimps and rubber bands. "It was mangled. I was wired shut and we had tons of help from the team.
"That's going to be the biggest challenge. You can only eat soups pretty much the whole time and you kind of get sick of it."
Gravylady to the Rescue
But just as in Tinordi's case, the Blackhawks have sent team chef Dee Dee Saracco, whose nickname is Gravylady (https://www.gravylady.com/profuelbygravylady) to Bedard's rescue. In addition to event catering under the mantra "Nana's Sunday cooking everyday," Saracco's business website says it caters meals with healthy, fresh ingredients for athletes and sports teams.
"She made me a fridge and freezer full of soups and everything like that," Tinordi said. "She just told me to put it in a blender and do the best you can.
"She was going to do the same for him, and sure enough she did. She's a saint. She'll take care of him."
Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson, who lives in the same downtown Chicago building as Bedard, said he ran into Saracco at their high-rise and helped her unload food from a truck on to cart.
"It was full," said Richardson, who suffered a broken jaw himself while with Columbus in December 2005. "He's got lots of help and I think his mom's here too. He's going to be well-taken care of." See following video.
Richardson was hit by a slapshot by Dallas Stars defenseman Jon Klemm and missed five-and-half weeks after a surgery that implanted two plates and 15 screws.
Bedard's Timeline
Bedard leads all first-year NHLers, and Chicago, with 15 goals and 33 points in 39 games. Richardson said he had not yet spoken at length with the NHL's 2023 top draft pick following the injury.
"I think they're just precautionary on a young guy having a trauma injury like that," Richardson said. "You know if it's earlier, great. But I think that's probably a normal timeline for what they were thinking of with the procedure they did."
The Blackhawks didn't release details on the mechanics of Bedard's procedure, performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
"I don't know exactly what surgery (Bedard) had," Tinordi said. "I had to see a trauma surgeon, so they had to do a whole bunch of work up there to fix it all."
Tinordi said he had been talking to Bedard and checking in on him about being sidelined.
"And then mentally, just going through that," Tinordi said. "That's a long time to be honest, especially for a young kid. You just want to make sure he's where he needs to be mentally too."
Bedard should be able to start riding a stationary bike, albeit with some breathing adjustment, within a couple of weeks. Then he'll be able to skate on his own.
"Your day-to-day isn't really changed all that much," Tinordi said. "You can go in the gym after two weeks or whatever. You can work out, you can lift, you can do all that. So I think physically he'll be fine."
Richardson expects Bedard to start "negotiating to get on the ice early" at the Blackhawks practice facility.
"There's a timeline for him, almost like a concussion protocol," Richardson said. See video.