Having been sidelined for the start of the 2026-27 NHL season, Connor Bedard will make his long-awaited return for the Chicago Blackhawks against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. “As we sit here right now, I have [Bedard] in our lineup tonight,” head coach Jeff Blashill hinted after morning skate. It’s finally official.
The Blackhawks’ latest injury update on Bedard appeared to remove all mystery surrounding his return date, and it pointed toward Oct. 13, when the Blackhawks host the Penguins at the United Center, being Bedard’s first game of the 2026-27 NHL season.
“First game as Captain. It’s a special honor. Just looking forward to that,” Bedard admitted ahead of his first game of the 2026-27 NHL season, which will be at home in Windy City.
When was Bedard’s last game for Chicago?
In order to relive Bedard’s last NHL appearance for the Blackhawks, one must travel all the way back to April 16. In the 2025-26 season finale, the Blackhawks defeated Bedard’s good friend Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks by a final score of 5-2.
In an interesting meeting between two former first overall selections, Bedard finished the night with a pair of assists and was named the second star of the game in the comeback victory, rallying from a deficit to score five unanswered goals, while Celebrini went scoreless and finished with a plus/minus of -3.
Why was Bedard sidelined?
Since then, Bedard has been named the 38th captain in franchise history, but he hasn’t made his official on-ice debut as captain because he has spent the past few months rehabbing from offseason left-shoulder surgery. Still, Bedard has defied the Blackhawks’ original timeline.
At the time of the procedure, the club in Chi-town announced a four-month timeline for Bedard’s return to action, but he’s now back much earlier than expected. As Bedard will play against Pittsburgh on Oct. 13, he will return to the ice 97 days after his mid-summer surgery on July 8.
Key takeaways
- Connor Bedard is active to play against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 13.
- His last NHL game was a 5-2 win over San Jose on April 16.
- Connor Bedard is returning 97 days after undergoing shoulder surgery on July 8.
