Chicago rookie Connor Bedard may have a broken jaw, but that did not stop him from taking to the ice on Monday, according to several reports.
Bedard suffered a fractured jaw on Jan. 5 when he took a hit from the Devils’ Brendan Smith. He underwent surgery last week. But there he was on Monday, donning a non-contact jersey and skating with the team’s other injured players.
“He’s been begging,” head coach Luke Richardson said, according to Kristen Shilton of ESPN. “They [the doctors] said it was okay, but he was given specific instructions. He’s not allowed to take slapshots; so, he’s not allowed to really clench [the jaw]. If they see that, they might pull the rug out from under him…it’s just good for him to get moving. He just has to be careful with the early stages of clenching.”
Bedard, 18, was the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft. Despite being out for more than a week, he still leads all rookies in goals (15) and points (33) and is tied for the lead in assists (18).