New Delhi, July 9 -- Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard will miss the opening weeks of the 2026-27 NHL season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. The team made the announcement on Wednesday and confirmed a recovery window of roughly four months.

The Chicago Blackhawks stated that they "expect Connor Bedard to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months." With the regular season now starting in late September under the NHL's new 84-game schedule, Bedard is likely to be unavailable for at least the first month and possibly longer.

The 20-year-old center suffered the injury during a training session with Kaivo Hockey in Vancouver. Video from July 2 showed him losing an edge and crashing into the boards be...