Blashill: Bedard not close to practising 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 was injured while skating with NHL players in Vancouver on July 2 and is expected to miss the start 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. Over the summer the Blackhawks named Bedard the 37th captain in franchise history and signed him to a five-year, $75 million contract.
He has been the centrepiece of the franchise since going first overall in the 2023 draft. He debuted that October and won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. In 2025-26, his third NHL season, he set career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.
Blashill offered no timeline for when Bedard might get back on the ice with the group.
