Two of the National Hockey League’s rising stars will be out long term with various injuries. They are Utah Mammoth centre Logan Cooley of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Chicago Blackhawks centre Connor Bedard of North Vancouver, British Columbia according to Logan Doyle of fantraxhq.com.
How long are Cooley and Bedard expected out for?
Cooley is expected to be gone eight weeks with a lower body injury. Bedard is not expected to return until January because a shoulder injury.
How did Cooley and Bedard get hurt?
Cooley was injured on December 5 when he fell into the net in a 4-1 Mammoth win over the Vancouver Canucks. Bedard got injured a week later while taking a faceoff against the St. Louis Blues in a 3-2 Blues win on December 12. Remarkably, the faceoff happened with only one second left in the entire game. According to Tracey Myers of nhl.com, Bedard fell backward on to the ice as Blues captain Brayden Schenn was trying to lift Bedard’s stick. The injuries may cost Cooley of making Team USA and Bedard of making Team Canada at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan/Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Cooley in 2025-26
Cooley has 14 goals and nine assists for 23 points in 29 games for the Mammoth. He is a +6 with 22 penalty minutes, four power-play points, one shorthanded point, one game-winning goal, 59 shots on goal, 133 faceoff wins, 13 blocked shots, 34 hits, 11 takeaways, and 37 giveaways.
Cooley had a magical game earlier this season when he scored four times in a 5-1 Mammoth win over the Vegas Golden Knights. In the contest, Cooley scored the game-winning goal from right winger Dylan Guenther of Edmonton, Alberta and defenseman Nate Schmidt of St. Cloud, Minnesota, which put the Mammoth up 2-0 with three minutes and 49 seconds left in the first period. Cooley then recorded his shorthanded point with a shorthanded goal into an empty net unassisted with two minutes and 17 seconds left in the third period.
Bedard in 2025-26
Bedard has 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 31 games. he is a +8 with 30 penalty minutes, 13 power-play points, 103 shots on goal, 148 faceoff wins, 15 blocked shots, nine hits, 13 takeaways, and 42 giveaways.
It is on the defensive side of things that Bedard has shown the most progress. In his rookie season, Bedard was an abysmal -44. In Bedard’s second NHL season, he marginally improved, but was still a terrible -36. This season, Bedard is a very respectable +8.
