Kings interim coach D.J. Smith hit by shattered glass as panel breaks behind LA bench in Game 2

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Members of the Colorado Avalanche conversion crew carry a new piece of glass to the Los Angeles Kings' bench during the second period of Game 2 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson stretches while waiting for a broken piece of glass to be replaced on the team's bench during the second period of Game 2 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey) — Members of the Colorado Avalanche conversion crew carry a new piece of glass to the Los Angeles Kings' bench during the second period of Game 2 in the first round of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Audio By Carbonatix

12:04 AM on Wednesday, April 22

By PAT GRAHAM

DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles interim coach D.J. Smith quickly ducked when shattered glass fell on him after a pane broke behind the Kings bench Tuesday night in Game 3 against Colorado.

It happened right after Quinton Byfield was stopped on a penalty shot by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood with 16:48 remaining in the second period. The glass began to sway as fans pounded on it in excitement and then gave way, with pieces raining on Smith. He covered his head and then brushed the glass off his suit before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. He returned a few minutes later.

The Avalanche cleanup crew brought out shovels and buckets to clean up the fragments from the LA bench. The Kings players mingled on the ice as they waited for a new pane to be brought in and installed.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told ESPN hockey analyst Erik Johnson he's never seen something like that happen before. Landeskog added: "It was loud there when ‘Wedgy' made that save and fans got a little too excited."

The delay took more than 15 minutes. The score was 0-0 when play was halted.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl