Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard injured after ‘freak accident’ against Blues

Posted December 13, 2025 12:19 am

By Scott Powers

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard appeared to suffer a right shoulder injury in the final seconds of Friday’s road game against the St. Louis Blues.

With the Blues leading 3-2 and 0.8 seconds left in the third period, Bedard went to take a faceoff against Brayden Schenn in the Blues’ zone. As the puck was dropped, Schenn cross-checked Bedard, knocking him to the ice. Bedard fell awkwardly, rolled in pain and appeared as if he couldn’t move his right shoulder as he skated off the ice.

Bedard immediately went down the tunnel and could be seen on video holding his right shoulder in pain as he made his way to the team’s locker room.

“I think it’s a freak accident, to be honest with you,” Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said.

Blashill said that Bedard will not play against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, and more information is expected to be available on Monday after further evaluation. The Blackhawks are expected to be off from practice on Sunday.

Bedard recorded two assists in the Blackhawks’ loss to give him 19 goals, 25 assists and 44 points in 31 games this season.

Bedard missed 14 games two seasons ago as a rookie after fracturing his jaw in a game.

Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, was off to the best season start of his young career and had put himself in the conversation to play for Team Canada at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.