NHL's Top Rookie Scorer Decked by Devils D-Man Brendan Smith and Didn't Return. Story Updated With Videos
NHL leading rookie scorer Connor Bedard left the Blackhawks 4-2 loss at New Jersey Friday midway through the first period after taking a hit to the face from Devils defenseman Brendan Smith and didn't return.
With Chicago on a power play, Bedard entered the New Jersey zone just to the right side of the slot. The puck was sliding off the rookie's stick as he skated between Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer.
Connor Bedard skated into the Devils zone in New Jersey on Friday night before leaving the game with an injury.Smith stepped up and decked Bedard with a shoulder to the mouth area. Bedard fell to the ice, then popped up and skated straight to the dressing room at 10:49 of the opening frame.
Nick Foligno exited the game after fighting Smith in the second period.
Coach Luke Richardson had no specifics on the conditions of either Bedard or Foligno other than that both are "banged up" and needed to be checked by team doctors in Chicago on Saturday. See following video.
Smith was assessed a minor roughing penalty. Foligno, who tussled with him in a response, got a double-minor.
Foligno, the Blackhawks 36-year-old de facto captain, then squared off with Smith in a fight at 5:04 of the second.
Blackhawks de facto captain Nick Foligno fights Devils defenseman Brendan Smith in New Jersey on Friday.Foligno issued the challenge to Smith from a faceoff seconds after Chicago rookie defenseman Alex Vlasic dropped his gloves with New Jersey's Nathan Bastian. Mercer and Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato were assessed roughing penalties in the skirmish.
The 18-year-old Bedard entered with 15 goals and 33 assists, both NHL-leading totals for rookies, in 38 games. The NHL's top draft pick of 2023, Bedard became the youngest player named to the league's All-Star game on Thursday.
Bedard entered Friday in a slump along with his depleted team. The rookie had just one point, an assist, in his last four games. Chicago's loss to the Devils was its fifth straight (0-4-1) and 11th in 13 games (2-10-1).
Heading into Friday, Chicago was already without six injured forwards — Taylor Hall, Tyler Johnson, Andreas Athanasiou, Taylor Raddysh, Anthony Beauvillier and Joey Anderson — and top defenseman Seth Jones.