Blackhawks superstar Connor Bedard gets destroyed by a big hip check from Winnipeg Jets Neal Pionk
The Chicago Blackhawks are back in action tonight against the Winnipeg Jets and Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard has found himself on the ice after a huge hip check.
Connor Bedard has been deemed the savior of the Chicago Blackhawks after being drafted by the team in 2023. During his rookie season Connor Bedard showed a ton of talent and potential. He also ended up getting injured which led to major discussion about his durability.
Tonight just a couple of days into the NHL season Connor Bedard has been crushed by a huge hip check. While skating up the ice against the Winnipeg Jets Connor Bedard was lined up and flipped by Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk.
The check seemed to sweep Connor Bedard's right leg from under him. Immediately his Blackhawks teammate Pat Maroon came to defend Connor Bedard after the big hit. Pat Maroon followed Neal Pionk into the corner and was talking to him the entire time. When the Chicago Blackhawks signed Maroon this was the exact purpose of adding a player like him to protect Connor Bedard.
From the looks of things, Connor Bedard popped right back up and continued on. This is great news for the Chicago Blackhawks who will be relying on Connor Bedard to do a lot of the heavy lifting during the 2024-25 season.
Blackhawks looking to take the next step with Connor Bedard
In year 2 with Connor Bedard the Chicago Blackhawks are looking to take a major step forward. Last season the Blackhawks finished last in the Central Division and were well out of a playoff spot. While a potential playoff berth this season is a long shot the Blackhawks could see major improvement from Connor Bedard himself.
This summer the Chicago Blackhawks tried to make additions to help Connor Bedard. Of course, they added Pat Maroon to the lineup. Reports earlier this summer revealed the Blackhawks also tried to bring in Jake Gunetzel during free agency. Despite their best effort Jake Guentzel signed elsewhere and the Blackhawks will now rely on Connor Bedard to take a major step forward.
In his rookie season, Connor Bedard tallied 61 points in 68 total games. He did miss a significant amount of time after suffering a broken jaw from a big hit last season. This season the Blackhawks will need to make sure Connor Bedard protects himself while still finding ways to impact the game.
| POLL | ||
Do you think this is a clean hit from Neal Pionk on Connor Bedard? | ||
| Yes | 167 | 82.3 % |
| No | 36 | 17.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
