NHL insider Kevin Weeks confirms the worst for Connor Bedard after shoulder injury

Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard suffered an apparent shoulder injury in the dying moments of in Friday's 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Yesterday the team officially stated that Bedard will be out of action until the New Year at the very earliest, which brings into question his participation for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The team will announce its roster on December 31st and while Bedard was a long-shot to make the team at the start of the 2025-26 NHL season, he has worked his way into the conversation with some outstanding play. Today though, NHL insider Kevin Weekes is reporting that indeed Bedard has suffered a separated shoulder.

The typical recovery time for this type of injury is roughly 12 weeks. If you're keeping score at home, the Olympics are in 10 weeks.

Something's gotta give...

This is obviously a devastating injury for Chicago and for Team Canada, but I can't help but feel most for the kid himself. Flashback to 2023 when Bedard put up a remarkable 23 points in just 7 games for Canada at the World Juniors and it was clear that he was beaming with pride while wearing the maple leaf. Now, it looks like he'll be forced to watch from the couch like the rest of us.