Frank Nazar, a 2022 first-round pick, was recently promoted to No. 1 center due to Connor Bedard’s injury. Eric Bolte / Imagn Images
OTTAWA — Already without Connor Bedard, the Chicago Blackhawks were hit with another injury to a promising young player Saturday when Frank Nazar took a puck to the face in the first period against the Ottawa Senators and was ruled out of the remainder of the game.
“He’ll miss time for sure. Approximately four weeks probably,” Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill said after the game. “So he’ll be out for a while.”
Frank Nazar takes a puck to the face and heads to the dressing room. pic.twitter.com/4NTB2zx9Ol
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 20, 2025
Senators defenseman Jordan Spence one-timed a shot from the left circle at 5:08 of the first period, and the puck deflected off Tyler Bertuzzi’s stick and struck Nazar on his right cheek. Nazar grabbed for his face and immediately skated off the ice under his own power. The Blackhawks announced before the second period that Nazar wouldn’t return to the game.
Nazar, a 2022 first-round pick, was recently promoted to No. 1 center due to Bedard’s injury, and Saturday marked the fourth game with Nazar in that position. Nazar has six goals and 15 assists in 33 games this season. In the offseason, he signed a seven-year contract extension with a $6.59 million cap hit, which will go into effect next season.
The Blackhawks moved Ryan Greene, another young center, up the lineup to replace Nazar after the injury.
The Blackhawks are already without Bedard for an unknown amount of time. He is expected to be reassessed in early January after suffering a shoulder injury on Dec. 12.