Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar will not accompany the team in their upcoming two-game road trip to Edmonton and Calgary. He suffered facial fractures and a corneal abrasion during Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Avalanche vice president of media and player relations Brendan McNicholas confirmed after the game that Bednar was fully alert and conscious but would be transported to a local hospital for a CT scan and further evaluation.
The team announced the full extent of Bednar’s injuries on Sunday, including facial fractures to his right cheek and a corneal abrasion. The team confirmed that Bednar will not require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, although no specific timeline for his return was provided.
“Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar will not accompany the team on their upcoming two-game road trip due to facial fractures and a corneal abrasion,” the Avalanche said. “He will not require surgery at this time and is expected to make a full recovery.”
The incident occurred with 16:39 remaining in the third period when a puck flew off the stick of Golden Knights defenseman Keegan Kolesar. It sailed over the boards and struck Bednar on his right cheek.
The play developed as Avalanche forward Jack Drury applied pressure on Kolesar’s attempted clear, causing the puck to take an unexpected trajectory into the Colorado bench area. Bednar bent over in pain, holding the side of his head as team trainers rushed to his aid. He was escorted to the locker room and did not return for the remainder of Colorado’s 3-2 overtime.
Assistant coaches to take over behind the bench for Jared Bednar
With Jared Bednar sidelined, Colorado Avalanche assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol will share head coaching duties for the team’s final two regular-season games. Hakstol actually took over after Bednar left Saturday’s game and will continue in the role alongside Pratt.
Pratt addressed the incident after Saturday’s loss, acknowledging the unsettling nature of what transpired.
“It’s certainly a little unnerving. It’s scary when the pucks are flying in there,” Pratt said. “It happens all the time, and unfortunate tonight, so it takes a little second to sort of recalibrate and then get back to it.”
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog also expressed concern for his coach following the game.
“We hope he’s OK,” Landeskog said. “That was a scary situation.”
The silver lining for Colorado is that Bednar’s absence comes at a time when the stakes are relatively low. The Avalanche clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s No. 1 seed on Thursday with 115 points, securing home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno
