Jared Bednar’s scare changed the mood on the Avalanche bench
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Jonathan Ouimet
Apr 11, 2026 (11:04 PM)
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Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Jared Bednar gave Colorado a frightening moment when the Avalanche coach took a puck to the face and headed down the tunnel with a towel pressed against him.
That is the kind of scene that stops a bench cold.
Players can shake off plenty, but seeing the head coach get clipped like that lands differently.
The first reaction was pure concern.
Trainers rushed over right away, and Bednar was quickly escorted off with blood visible through the towel.
For Avalanche fans, that is where the stomach drops.
A puck-to-the-face incident always looks worse in real time, especially when it is someone behind the bench instead of in the play.
There is also something jarring about it because Bednar is usually the calm center of the room.
When he is the one heading down the tunnel, the whole game suddenly feels secondary.
Colorado has built a lot of its identity around Bednar's steady presence over a long run behind the bench.
So even a short scare like this hits harder than a routine in-game interruption.
When the coach disappears, the whole bench feels it
That is the hidden part of moments like this.
Players may keep skating, but the emotional rhythm on the bench changes right away.
Bednar is not just a figure standing behind the players.
He is the voice for line changes, the read on momentum, and the person who usually settles the group when things get chaotic.
That is why fans react so strongly to something like this.
It is not only about whether he is fine physically. It is also about seeing a familiar presence suddenly removed from the night.
And to be clear, there was immediate fear because the visual was rough.
A towel on the face and trainers rushing in is never something fans are going to shrug off.
The good news is that hockey rooms are used to weird, violent bounces.
The bad news is they still look brutal every single time.
For Colorado, the main thing now is simple.
Make sure Bednar is okay, then let everything else come after that.
Make sure Bednar is okay, then let everything else come after that.
That is why this clip travelled so fast.
It was not about tactics, lines, or systems. It was about one of the league's most recognizable coaches taking a scary shot and everyone holding their breath.
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