Connor Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks may not have triumphed in his highly-anticipated return to the lineup on Thursday night, but the 18-year-old made an immediate impact.
Bedard played 21:17 of time on ice in his first game back, not being eased in at all while assisting on his team's lone goal and adding four shots in a 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bedard's idol Sidney Crosby stole the show, scoring twice to help the Pens beat the Hawks at the United Center on Thursday.
Despite the defeat, Bedard proved he's a warrior — and not just because he returned from a broken jaw weeks ahead of schedule.
“I’m not going to go in there scared. You can’t be nervous going out there,” Bedard asserted after the game, per The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. “Be smart, for sure, I'm not a big guy, I’m smaller than pretty much everyone. Gotta have your head up and be ready.”
Connor Bedard returned well ahead of schedule
It was Bedard's first game action since Jan. 5, when he sustained a broken jaw on a hit by New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith.