Update (5:02 p.m. ET, Sunday): Connor Bedard participated in full-contact practice for the first time Sunday after undergoing left shoulder surgery.
Connor Bedard’s return timeline edged closer into view Sunday after the Chicago Blackhawks captain wore a regular jersey and took part in full-contact practice for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery. Bedard injured his left shoulder on July 2 during an offseason training session in Vancouver and had surgery a few days later.
The 21-year-old has steadily ramped up his activity over the past week. He began skating with the Blackhawks on Oct. 5 in a black non-contact jersey, took faceoffs for the first time Saturday since the surgery, and then cleared the bigger hurdle of full-contact work on Sunday.
What The Team And Bedard Said
Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill said Bedard has an upcoming doctor’s appointment that will determine his return timetable and did not rule out his captain from playing Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. “A very young team gets their top player back like that, it’s a big deal for any team,” Blashill said. “There’s zero doubt that with him in the lineup, we’re a way better team.”
Bedard himself was careful not to put a firm date on his comeback. “There’s no real official date or anything, but obviously a good step today, getting to practice with the team and feel contact and be in battle drills, 5-on-5, stuff like that,” he said. “I felt really good. I’ll talk to the doctors here soon and find a game.”
He also said he is able to take faceoffs immediately once he is cleared to return.
Recovery Timeline And The Homestand
The original recovery window for Bedard’s shoulder surgery was four months, which would have pointed toward an early November return. His accelerated progress through practice, including Sunday’s full-contact session, raises the possibility his doctor’s appointment could move that date up, though no confirmed return date exists yet.
The timing lines up with a stretch that could benefit the Blackhawks regardless of when Bedard is cleared. Chicago’s next six games are scheduled for the United Center, giving the team an extended run at home as it awaits word on its captain’s status.
Season Context For Chicago
The Blackhawks enter this stretch at 1-5-0 after their game Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes, a difficult start for a team that was named Bedard its captain on Sept. 15. He is the second-youngest captain in franchise history behind Jonathan Toews, who was 20 years and 79 days old when he got the “C.”
Bedard has 203 points on 75 goals and 128 assists across 219 games with Chicago, and he set career highs last season with 75 points, 30 goals and 45 assists. This marks the second straight season a shoulder injury has interrupted his campaign. He missed 12 games last season with a right shoulder injury suffered on Dec. 10, 2025, and returned Jan. 9 against the Washington Capitals.
What’s Next
The Blackhawks host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night, a game Blashill has not ruled out for Bedard depending on the results of his doctor’s appointment. No specific date for that appointment or for Bedard’s season debut has been set. Chicago’s six-game homestand gives the team multiple opportunities to activate its captain once he is medically cleared.
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