Bedard, Blackhawks ‘so excited’ to get back to work following break

CHICAGO -- Connor Bedard was feeling refreshed, the Chicago Blackhawks forward ready to get back to a week’s worth of practices, or what coach Jeff Blashill was calling, “a mini-training camp.”

“Yeah, hopefully there’s no skate test or anything like that,” Bedard said with a laugh on Tuesday, the first day NHL teams were allowed to practice again out of the break for the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortino 2026.

No, no skate test, but it’s a great opportunity for the Blackhawks to get back their conditioning and maybe touch up some of those systems after a break that began on Feb. 5.

For Bedard, it’s a chance to do the same. It’s also time for him to resume taking face-offs, something he hasn’t done for precautionary reasons since sustaining an upper-body injury against the St. Louis Blues, on the final face-off of the game, in mid-December.

“I think the plan right now, and the plan always was in his mind, to start taking face-offs coming out of this break,” Blashill said. “So, I’d expect to see him kind of playing more of a true center role where he’s taking face-offs.”

That’s fine with Bedard, who was taking some face-offs at the end of the Blackhawks’ optional practice at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday.

Bedard has won 47 percent of his face-offs (148 of 315) this season but was kept out of the circle after he was hurt while taking a face-off with one second remaining in a 3-2 loss at the Blues on Dec. 12. Blues center Brayden Schenn went in for a stick lift and knocked into Bedard, who fell backward to the ice. Bedard clutched his right shoulder as he headed toward the locker room.

“I feel a little bad for guys. ‘Burky’ (forward Andre Burakovsky) took a couple of draws, I think he won one, which was good,” Bedard said with a laugh. “I mean, you want to play your full position, so I’m looking forward to that.”

While the 20-year-old missed some time due to injury, he was happy to have the break in what was a very busy first part of the season. Bedard said he “took a little trip” and then went home to North Vancouver, British Columbia, for a few days.

“Obviously very condensed (schedule) with the three weeks (break) we got now for everyone to get a little time, but I think it’s good. We’re real young and just everyone getting used to it,” he said. “Obviously next year it won’t be quite as condensed, so it can feel a little bit easier. There are going to be games when you’re not feeling good but it’s good for us.”

Now Bedard’s ready to get back to full duties as a center and perhaps hit the offensive production he had prior to getting hurt. It looked like he was getting his touch again heading into the Olympic break.

When Bedard returned to the lineup against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 9, he still led the Blackhawks with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 31 games. He still leads them with 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games, including nine points (four goals, five assists) in the 13 games following his injury.

“I think I’m just trying to come in, play my game and I think when I’m doing the little things well, the other stuff comes,” Bedard said. “I think our team is just trying to find our game right now and it’s nice we have the next week and a bit to figure that out.”

The Blackhawks (22-26-9) will come out of the break 10 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They’ll be on the road a lot, too. From their first game out of the break, against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Feb. 26 to the end of March, the Blackhawks will play 12 of their next 18 games on the road, where they’re 10-12-4 this season.

They’ll worry about fixing road issues as the games get closer. For now, the Blackhawks are just getting their feet back under them after a welcome respite.

“I think it’s great. Everyone’s so excited to be back,” Bedard said of the rest. “Most guys obviously took a trip or went home or whatnot. Just to have that break and have the excitement. Not that we weren’t excited before. We have a great group and everyone’s excited to come to the rink but just to have, it’s almost like a new season, the break was so long. That’s great.”