Blashill: Bedard not close to practicing with Blackhawks
Chicago’s captain is skating and taking light shots on his own, but is not close to a full team practice after July shoulder surgery.
Sportsnet reported Wednesday that head coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard is not close to joining the team for practice. The Hockey News reported that Bedard skated and took light slap shots on his own before the Blackhawks practiced, but had not yet joined group work.
Bedard, 21, underwent left-shoulder surgery on July 8. He got hurt on July 2 while skating with NHL players in Vancouver and is expected to miss the beginning of the 2026-27 season.
That is a heavy blow for a team trying to climb out of a long rebuild. Chicago went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the year before, and has finished 31st in the league each of the last three seasons.
The injury did not slow down the organization's commitment to him. This summer, Chicago made Bedard the 37th captain in team history and gave him a five-year, $75 million contract.
He has been the centrepiece of the franchise since going first overall in the 2023 draft. He made his NHL debut that October and went on to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. In 2025-26, his third NHL season, he set career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.
