Blackhawks rookie, recovering from broken jaw, is limited to passing, chatting and soaking in ambiance.
Connor Bedard still is recovering from a broken jaw he suffered on Jan. 5, but the Chicago Blackhawks rookie was able to join other NHL All-Stars on the ice at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Friday night.
Bedard passing pucks in Toronto. USA Today NetworkBedard has been ramping up his skating in Chicago, but still is at least two weeks away from being cleared for contact and full hockey activities. Still the NHL's leading rookie scorer with 15 goals and 33 points, the 18-year-old remains unable to exert himself fully in any way that would cause him to clench or put pressure on his surgically repaired jaw.
But on Friday, videos showed Bedard was at least able to open his mouth enough to talk.
In a full Blackhawks red uniform, he skated on to the ice at the Toronto Maple Leafs home arena as other All-Stars took part in skills competitions. A healthy Bedard would have been fully engaged, but he had to settle for passing the puck to fellow players, chatting and sitting on an enormous bench at center ice.
He had a chance to kibitz with one of his idols, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, as well as NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews, Colorado stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and others.
Bedard soaks in a little All-Star ambiance.Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft, was named Chicago's lone All-Star representative on Jan. 4 before the Blackhawks 4-1 loss to the Rangers in New York.
The next night in New Jersey, Bedard's jaw was fractured late in the first period on an open-ice hit by Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. Bedard had surgery in Chicago three days later and was given a six-to-eight week recovery projection.
Bedard (right) on the ice at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago.Bedard resumed skating a week later at the Blackhawks practice facility wearing a full polycarbonate shield and with restrictions.
An exact date for his return hasn't been set. Coach Luke Richardson has said that will be determined by how scans and tests show Bedard's jaw has healed.
Bedard has other All-Star activities in Toronto on his menu, including a potentially quirky shooting competition with a female player from Minnesota on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. The event, at a Sport Chek store at Maple Leaf Square, was set up as part of Bedard's partnership with Sherwood Hockey. See the story: