Olympics in jeopardy: Injury shock for Bedard

Canada's ice hockey wonderboy Connor Bedard was placed on injured reserve by the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. This is a heavy blow not only for the storied NHL club.

16 December 2025

From: fop

The 20-year-old center injured his upper body during a face-off one second before the end of Friday's 2-3 loss against the St. Louis Blues.

Blues center Brayden Schenn attempted to pass the puck and bumped into Bedard, who fell backward onto the ice. He was holding his right shoulder as he went to the locker room.

Connor Bedard is set to represent Canada in Milan. © APA/afp / MICHAL CIZEK

Bedard leads the Blackhawks in scoring with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists), placing him fourth in the NHL. The number one pick of the 2023 NHL Draft is a potential candidate for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Whether the superstar will be available in Italy depends on the severity of his shoulder injury. The length of his absence is not yet known.

Forsberg with his 11th hat trick

Meanwhile, the NHL action continues. The standout players last night (CET) were Filip Forsberg and Tim Stützle: The Swedish star forward for the Nashville Predators scored his eleventh career hat trick in the 5-2 win against St. Louis, while the German national team player led his Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 overtime victory in Winnipeg with three assists.

Last night's NHL results:

New York Rangers – Anaheim Ducks 1:4
Tampa Bay Lightning – Florida Panthers 2:5
Winnipeg Jets – Ottawa Senators 2:3 aet
Dallas Stars – Los Angeles Kings 4:1
St. Louis – Nashville Predators 2:5