"It was a nothing hit" - NHL analyst does not get the furor behind hit that left Connor Bedard with a broken jaw

On a recent episode of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, hosts Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette delved into the controversy surrounding the hit that left Connor Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft, with a broken jaw.

Whitney felt the hit, executed by Devils defenseman Brendan Smith, was relatively innocuous and wouldn't have caused much concern if Connor Bedard were slightly taller.

Ryan Whitney said:

"If he's two inches taller or an inch taller. Like, nothing. It was a nothing hit."

He analyzed the play, emphasizing Bedard's unfortunate head movement after losing sight of the puck.

Whitney said:

"What happened was, if you watch the clip, he's flying through the neutral zone, head up, doesn't look down even once, and the puck, he makes a nice move to the right, the puck just kind of squirts away from him, and he looks down quick, and, you know, that's what happens. Like, Brendan Smith made a great play stepping up."

Paul Bissonnette replied:

"And he can't not finish his hits either. He doesn't have the ability to get out of the way for a star. He'll be in the f**king press box. For another two weeks."

Ryan Whitney compared Connor Bedard's situation to McDavid's rookie year

Ryan Whitney drew parallels to a previous injury suffered by Connor McDavid during his rookie year, emphasizing that despite the severity of the outcome, the hit itself was not inherently dirty.

Ryan Whitney said:

"It was just brutal because he's a little smaller, and it just caught him perfectly. Didn't even look that bad. It reminds me of when McDavid got hurt his rookie year, and it cost him the Rookie of the Year, the Calder. But in the end, it wasn't dirty. Luke Richardson said it wasn't dirty."

Whitney referenced Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson's statement:

"So any Blackhawks fan out there saying that, like, the head coach already said they were fine with the hit, it was just a brutal bounce for the kid who's having a hell of a season. And now I don't know how long he’ll be out, but you knew right away, the way he grabbed his face that it was something serious."

Connor Bedard underwent surgery for a fractured jaw, sidelining him for an estimated six to eight weeks. Bedard was leading the Blackhawks with 33 points in 39 games.