Blackhawks News
Blackhawks Place Bedard On Injured Reserve, Call Up Two Players From AHL
Ahead of Monday’s practice at Fifth Third Arena, the Chicago Blackhawks placed forward Connor Bedard on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 12, when he was injured in the final second of the game against the rival St. Louis Blues.
According to NHL guidelines, Bedard is required to be out for at least seven days while on injured reserve. Perhaps the fact that he wasn’t placed on long-term injured reserve is a sign that he dodged a more serious injury.
Since getting hurt in St. Louis, Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill hasn’t provided much information on whether it will be a short-term or long-term absence for Bedard. That’s expected to change later this afternoon, however, as Blashill will speak with the media after practice and give an update on Bedard’s status. The star forward reportedly had an MRI over the weekend, which likely gave the team a better idea of what Bedard is dealing with.
Further updates to come on the matter later today.
The Blackhawks also made two additional roster moves on Monday morning, recalling defenseman Ethan Del Mastro and goaltender Laurent Brossoit from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
After rookie Sam Rinzel was assigned to the AHL one week ago, the Blackhawks were left with only six defensemen on the active roster. With a three-game road trip in Canada looming, the team wisely added some defensive depth by calling up the 22-year-old Del Mastro.
In 27 games with the IceHogs this season, Del Mastro has scored one goal and added 10 assists for 11 points. He’s appeared in one NHL game with Chicago in 2025-26, which was the season opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 7. Alex Vlasic was out of the lineup with an injury on opening night, but once he returned for the following game, Del Mastro was sent down to the AHL.
Brossoit has joined the Blackhawks following his conditioning stint with Rockford. In three games with the IceHogs, Brossoit went 2-1-0 with a 3.39 goals-against average and .900 save percentage. He also scored an empty-net goal to emphatically cap off a win against the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night.
The Blackhawks now have three goaltenders on the NHL roster, with Brossoit joining Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom. Carrying three netminders for an extended period wouldn’t be to the benefit of anyone involved, and there have been rumblings that GM Kyle Davidson is willing to trade Brossoit now that he’s finally healthy. There isn’t any room for the veteran in Chicago, and Davidson will likely find him a new home in the coming weeks.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X:
