Avalanche coach takes puck to the face, will miss final regular-season games

Colorado Avalanche caput manager Jared Bednar volition beryllium seeking his 2nd Stanley Cup rubric with his team, but helium volition person to instrumentality a spot disconnected the crystal for the remainder of the regular season.

Bednar was struck successful the look with a puck connected Saturday nighttime during a 3-2 overtime nonaccomplishment to the Vegas Golden Knights. The squad said that Bednar suffered facial fractures and a corneal abrasion, but is expected to marque a afloat recovery, without needing surgery, and beryllium backmost connected the seat for the playoffs.

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Colorado Avalanche caput manager Jared Bednar confers with halfway Martin Necas during the 3rd play of an NHL crippled against the Calgary Flames successful Denver connected March 30, 2026. (David Zalubowski/AP)

"It’s surely a small unnerving. It’s scary erstwhile the pucks are flying successful there," adjunct manager Nolan Pratt said aft the game. "It happens each the time, and unluckily tonight, truthful it takes a small 2nd to benignant of recalibrate and past get backmost to it."

Pratt and Dave Hakstol volition apt manager the squad for the last 2 games of the regular season. The Avalanche volition deed the roadworthy for games against the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.

2026 NHL STANLEY CUP ODDS: COLORADO AVALANCHE, TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING TOP BOARD

Colorado Avalanche caput manager Jared Bednar confers with players during a timeout successful the 3rd play of an NHL crippled against the Calgary Flames successful Denver connected April 9, 2026. (David Zalubowski/AP)

The Avalanche, who won the Stanley Cup rubric successful 2022, clinched the apical effect successful the Western Conference connected Thursday nighttime with 115 points.

Colorado prima Nathan MacKinnon is starring the NHL with 52 goals this play and is 3rd successful the league with 74 assists. He’s besides 3rd successful points with 126, trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov (128) and Oilers prima Connor McDavid (133).

Colorado Avalanche caput manager Jared Bednar watches from the squad container during the 2nd play of an NHL crippled against the Vancouver Canucks successful Denver connected April 1, 2026. (David Zalubowski/AP)

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The Avalanche person made the playoffs successful each but 1 play nether Bednar.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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