Bedard Returns as McDavid Reaches 800 NHL Games

Several major milestones will shape the NHL's 16-game Frozen Frenzy schedule on Tuesday, with Chicago Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard set to make his season debut and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid preparing for his 800th career game. According to NHL.com, the schedule also features Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns pursuing historical records and the San Jose Sharks seeking a fourth consecutive overtime victory to open their season.

Bedard will return against the Pittsburgh Penguins at United Center after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder. The injury occurred during an offseason training session in Vancouver on July 2, leaving Chicago without its leading scorer from the previous season.

According to NHL.com, Bedard recorded 75 points, including 30 goals and 45 assists, in 69 games last season. He has accumulated 203 points, with 75 goals and 128 assists, across 219 NHL games since Chicago selected him first overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The 21-year-old was named Chicago's captain on September 15, becoming the second-youngest captain in franchise history. Jonathan Toews remains the youngest, having received the position at 20 years and 79 days.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby enters the matchup with nine points, including three goals and six assists, in 11 NHL games. NHL.com reported that Crosby needs one assist to surpass Joe Thornton's 1,109 for seventh place on the league's all-time list and two to match Ray Bourque's 1,111 assists with a single franchise.

McDavid will reach the 800-game milestone when Edmonton visits the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena to conclude a three-game road trip through California. According to NHL.com, the Oilers captain has amassed 1,233 points, including 412 goals and 821 assists, through 799 games.

Through 800 games, McDavid ranks behind Wayne Gretzky, with 1,892 points, and Mario Lemieux, with 1,580, in NHL history. Edmonton entered the matchup with a 4-0-1 record, the league's only record without a regulation loss at that point, after winning four consecutive games following its overtime defeat to the Vancouver Canucks on September 29.

Edmonton defenseman Evan Bouchard has also made a strong start, producing 12 points through five games. NHL.com identified him as only the third defenseman to reach at least 12 points in a season's first five games, following Harry Cameron, who recorded 15 points for the Toronto Arenas in 1917-18, and Morgan Rielly, who collected 12 for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-19.

Colorado defenseman Brent Burns is approaching two separate milestones as the Avalanche prepare to face the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. At 41, Burns is chasing Phil Kessel's NHL record of 1,064 consecutive games and needs one goal to match Chris Chelios for the third-most goals by a defenseman after turning 40.

Burns has recorded 45 points, including 13 goals and 32 assists, since his 40th birthday. Chelios finished his career with 92 points beyond age 40 and retired at 48, according to NHL.com. Burns entered the game with 1,012 consecutive appearances, placing him behind Kessel's record.

Colorado also entered the matchup as the NHL's highest-scoring team, averaging 5.20 goals per game. Nathan MacKinnon led the Avalanche with 10 points, while Cale Makar had seven but was unavailable as he stayed with his wife, Tracy, awaiting the arrival of their twins.

Dallas faced its own roster setback after announcing Monday that forward Matt Duchene would miss three months following surgery to repair a core injury that had troubled him throughout training camp. The Stars entered the game with a 2-2-1 record, while Mikko Rantanen led the team with six points in five games.

In San Jose, the Sharks will host the Boston Bruins at SAP Center with an opportunity to become one of five teams to open a season with at least four overtime wins. San Jose had won all three of its games decided in overtime and entered the matchup with a 3-2-0 record.

Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini was scheduled to play his second game since returning from a lower-body injury that forced him to miss two contests. He had six points, including one goal and five assists, in three games. Boston entered with a 4-2-0 record, led by new captain David Pastrnak, who had seven points in six games.

NHL.com also identified three teams still searching for their first victory: the Los Angeles Kings, who had a 0-2-2 record; the Philadelphia Flyers, at 0-5-2; and the Calgary Flames, at 0-5-0.