Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard has undergone successful surgery to repair a fractured jaw, the team announced Wednesday.
In a news release, Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry confirmed Bedard, 18, underwent the successful surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He’s expected to miss approximately 6-8 weeks, which would keep him out until late February or early March.
Bedard was hurt last week Friday when he was leveled by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. The Blackhawks placed Bedard on injured reserve Saturday.
Bedard, a forward, was the No. 1 pick in last June’s NHL Draft. In his first season, he leads all NHL rookies in goals with 15, assists with 18 and points with 33.
Bedard was named to his first NHL All-Star Game last week Thursday, a day before suffering the fractured jaw.
Bedard will be 18 years and 201 days old when the puck drops for the All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto, which would make him the game’s all-time youngest participant. It is unclear if he will still participate in some capacity.
