Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was rushed to the hospital after taking a puck to the face on Saturday, which resulted in facial fractures and a corneal abrasion.
Bednar, 54, will now miss the Avs’ upcoming two-game road trip, at the very least, due to the injuries suffered.
The freak accident took place during Colorado’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Bednar was admitted to a nearby hospital following the incident and was fully conscious, according to a spokesman for the Avalanche, and underwent a CT scan for an advanced evaluation of the injuries.
Bednar was standing behind the Colorado bench as a puck bounced off Knights defenseman Keegan Kolesar’s stick, flying over the boards and hitting the Avs head coach in the face as 16:39 remained in the third period.
He was ultimately aided to the locker room by one of the team’s athletic trainers and replaced in the interim by Avs assistant coach Dave Hakstol.
With three games to go, Colorado has and will finish with the top spot in the NHL’s regular season, currently at 115 points on the year.
The Avalanche have seven more points than anyone in the league, with the Western Conference foe Dallas Stars sitting behind them at 108.
Colorado is currently the betting favorite to win the 2026 Stanley Cup with a goal differential of +94, which is 34 goals better than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are second at +60.
