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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks placed rookie center Connor Bedard on injured reserve on Saturday with a broken jaw.
Bedard got hurt when he was leveled by New Jersey defenseman Brendan Smith midway through the first period of Friday night’s 4-2 loss to the Devils.
Nick Foligno also went on IR with a fractured left finger, adding another name to Chicago's long list of injured forwards. In desperate need of reinforcements, the Blackhawks acquired forward Rem Pitlick from Pittsburgh for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old Bedard has been Chicago's best player in his first NHL season, living up to the hype after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft. Heading into Saturday's action, he was leading all NHL rookies with a team-high 15 goals and 18 assists in 39 games.
Bedard was selected for the Feb. 3 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, and the Blackhawks play in his hometown of Vancouver on Jan. 22. There was no immediate word on a timeline for the return of Bedhard, who was hit after he carried the puck into the Blackhawks’ offensive zone.
Smith was not penalized on the play, but there was a series of skirmishes between the teams after Bedard departed. Foligno, who has served as one of Bedard's mentors in the veteran's first season in Chicago, left the game after he fought with Smith in the second.
The depleted Blackhawks have dropped five in a row and seven of eight overall. They are 6-19-2 in their last 27 games under second-year coach Luke Richardson.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl