CHICAGO — According to multiple reports, Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard will make a surprise return from the injured list tonight against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.
Though the team hasn't made Bedard's return official yet, The Chicago Sun-Times Ben Pope and ESPN's Emily Kaplan both reported he will be back in the lineup Thursday afternoon, with Blackhawks head coach luke Richardson likely to make the announcement official at a 5 p.m. press conference later today.
Bedard has been sidelined with a fractured jaw since a Jan. 5 contest against the New Jersey Devils where Bedard took a hard, upper body shot from defenseman Brendan Smith that preceded several more skirmishes as the game went on.
The return is early by most prognostications, coming just 41 days after Bedard suffered the injury and with Richardson having previously said he expected Bedard to be out for at least another week.
Puck drop between the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins at the United Center is set for 7:30 p.m. Central Time.