It’s been a rough go for the Chicago Blackhawks in the early goings-on of the 2026-27 NHL season, as they’ve won only one of their first six games and find themselves in last place in the Central Division standings.
Of course, they’ve been without the services of newly-minted captain Connor Bedard, who suffered an injury during a training session over the summer.
But the good news for the Blackhawks is that there’s some light at the end of the tunnel, and according to head coach Jeff Blashill, Bedard could be back in short order.
Chicago Blackhawks Announce Connor Bedard’s Status For Tuesday’s Game
According to Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill, Bedard will be ready to play in his first game of the season on Tuesday at United Center against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, provided he gets the final okay from the club’s medical staff.
“CHI coach Jeff Blashill said Connor Bedard returns tonight, assuming final check from doctors goes right,” reported NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The puck will drop at United Center between the Blackhawks and Penguins at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Connor Bedard Has Missed All Of Chicago’s Games So Far
Bedard has been working himself back toward a return to game action for the Blackhawks after getting hurt during a summer training session and having to undergo surgery.
“I was off the ice for two months (right after surgery), so it takes a couple weeks to get your hands and stuff back and trying to get your cardio back. That’s the biggest thing right away,” he said via NHL.com. “But feel pretty good. It’s nice to get some game-like reps today, going forward here to ramp that up. I feel really good. I feel pretty normal for the most part. It’s obviously on kind of everyone that knows (doctors) to let me play.”
Bedard, taken with the first overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, has scored 75 goals with 128 assists in 219 career games, all with Chicago. However, he’s still awaiting his first taste of Stanley Cup Playoff action.
Blackhawks Reveal Connor Bedard’s Status For Tuesday’s Game