Kings Coach Hit by Shattered Glass as Avalanche Fans Go Too Wild Behind the Bench

D.J. Smith felt the pushing from behind, then the glass started falling. Los Angeles' interim coach didn't have time to duck out of the way as a pane behind the Kings bench shattered during Game 2 against Colorado on Tuesday night, sending shards raining down on him right there on the sideline.

It happened seconds after Quinton Byfield got stopped on a penalty shot by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood with 16:48 left in the second period. The glass started to sway as fans absolutely lost it, pounding on it in celebration. Then it just gave way.

The Impact: Chaos and Cleanup

Smith covered his head and brushed glass off his suit before heading to the locker room. He was back a few minutes later, but the damage was done. The Avalanche cleanup crew came out with shovels and buckets to clear fragments from the LA bench while players waited on the ice. Installation of a new pane took more than 15 minutes. The score was still 0-0 when the delay finally ended.

"Whoever the guy [was] just kept pushing and pushing and pushing," Smith said afterward. "I looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, then it broke."

The Aftermath

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told ESPN he's never seen anything like it. "It was loud there when 'Wedgy' made that save, and fans got a little too excited," he said. The delay was wild, but Colorado kept things together. Nicolas Roy scored the overtime winner as the Avalanche took a 2-0 series lead with a 2-1 victory. Game 3 heads to Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Landeskog summed it up best: "There's nothing you can do to control it. There's nothing you can do about it, so you just deal with it."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.