Connor Bedard was on the practice ice for the Chicago Blackhawks after missing a recent game due to a stomach bug.
Bedard missed the Jan. 12 game against the Edmonton Oilers due to illness. The forward has recently returned following missing 12 games after injuring his shoulder on a last-second faceoff against the St. Louis Blues back on Dec. 12 — Bedard was pushed to the ice by center Brayden Schenn. Bedard posted four shots on goal across 17:07 TOI in his return against the Washington Capitals.
Bedard has 19 goals and a team-high 27 assists in 33 games. He recently logged two assists in Saturday night's 3-0 victory at the Nashville Predators.
Against the Oilers, Chicago was also without Frank Nazar; the center has missed 11 straight games after he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.
Bedard disappointed to miss Edmonton game due to illness spreading around Chicago locker room
As previously referenced, Bedard returned to practice on Jan. 14 following the missed game action against the Oilers. The Blackhawks next take on the Calgary Flames on Jan. 14.
A stomach bug was previously reported to have been going around the Chicago roster, as the Blackhawks were without goaltenders Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom, forward Ilya Mikheyev and defenseman Louis Crevier against Washington.
Bedard said he did his best to fight off the stomach flu to see game action, but that it just didn't work out for him.
"I tried to kind of get myself up and go, I was trying to get to the game but it didn't work out unfortunately," Bedard said to the media following the recent practice. "It sucks to miss obviously but it is what it is."
Hear from Connor Bedard following practice today
— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) January 14, 2026
- Dealing with the stomach flu
- Condensed schedule of games
- Thoughts on Andre Burakovsky
- AND MORE
🎥 👇 pic.twitter.com/aZzvXooy4Z
Though, in the game Bedard missed Knight, Crevier and Soderblom were all available. The star forward was seemingly a late victim to the stomach flu.
Chicago has 45 points in the Central Division with a 19-20-7 overall record, while the Flames are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Bedard was drafted by the Blackhawks at No. 1 overall in 2023 and already has a current career total of 174 points (64 goals, 110 assists) across 183 games played.
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