CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks placed star rookie Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno on injured reserve Saturday.
Bedard was placed on injured reserve with a fractured jaw after being leveled by the New Jersey Devils' defenseman Brendan Smith in the first period of their game Friday.
Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a fractured left finger after he got into a pro-longed slugfest with Smith later in the game during the second period.
The Bedard hit did not sit well with the Blackhawks roster, as skirmishes between both sides broke out during the remainder of their contest with the Devils. At one point, there were seven total players in the penalty box for both teams.
“I don’t know if it was dirty. I think Connor was reaching for a puck and didn’t see him because he was behind another guy. I don’t think he stepped up on him,'' head coach Luke Richardson said after the game. ”I think he kind of stopped and Connor kind of ran headfirst right into him. … I think he was just playing hard on the blueline and trying to keep the puck out on the penalty kill."
NHL guidelines dictate players placed on injured reserve are ineligible to compete in NHL games for a period of no less than seven days, though a fractured jaw will likely keep Bedard out longer than that.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a mild jaw fracture takes around 4-6 weeks to heal, while a more severe fracture can take several months.
The NHL All-Star Game is slated for Feb. 4 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It is unclear if Bedard will still participate after injuring his Jaw Friday.
Up next, Chicago hosts the Calgary Flames Sunday.