Bedard Records Assist in Season Debut as Blackhawks Top Penguins 5-3

Connor Bedard tallied a primary assist and three shots on goal during his season debut in Chicago's 5-3 victory against Pittsburgh.

The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Tuesday night, led by two-goal performances from both Teuvo Teravainen and Roman Kantserov. In his first game of the season following July 8 surgery on his left shoulder, Connor Bedard recorded a primary assist on a power-play goal. The 21-year-old captain skated for more than 21 minutes, registered three shots on goal, and finished 6-for-14 on faceoffs.

Chicago broke a 1-1 tie with 2:10 remaining in the first period when Bedard delivered a touch pass to Kantserov, who beat goaltender Sergei Murashov on the stick side. Prior to this victory, the Blackhawks had been outscored 26-12 while losing five of their first six games. The team had managed only three total goals across their previous two contests before Bedard’s return to the top line alongside Kantserov and Patrick Kane.

Bedard, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, returned to the lineup approximately four months after his operation. To accommodate his return to the roster, the Blackhawks assigned Nick Lardis to Rockford of the AHL. While Bedard rejoined the lineup, forward Frank Nazar remained out while serving the final game of a two-game suspension for an illegal check.