Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard suffered fractured jaw after hit by Devils’ Brendan Smith

Chicago Blackhawks phenom suffered a fractured jaw in Friday night’s loss to the Devils, Saturday. The rookie center, 18, left during the first period and did not return after a hard collision with defenseman Brendan Smith in Newark. The placed Bedard on injured reserve Saturday and did not offer a timeline for his return.

Bedard immediately grabbed his face following the big hit, which teammate as a dirty play. “Everybody saw,” Katchouk said. “It’s dirty.” Devils coach t, saying, “It’s unfortunate where he got him.” “At different times, all young players learn. … I learned the hard way, I got knocked out cold,” Ruff said.

“You’ve got to be aware,” the coach continued. “There was no intent or anything. It was just a solid hit.” The injury put a damper on Bedard’s first trip to the Tri State area as an NHL pro. The Blackhawks lost to the Rangers, 4 1, at Madison Square Garden on Thursday before falling to the Devils, 4 2, at the Prudential Center.

Bedard, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, leads the Blackhawks (11 26 2) with 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games this season. On Thursday, Bedard became the youngest player in NHL history to be selected for the All Star Game..