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Los Angeles Kings head coach DJ Smith narrowly avoided disaster in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.
Loud Avalanche fans banging on the glass behind Smith caused the glass to shatter after Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood stopped on Quinton Byfield. Pieces of glass fell on Smith. He covered his head and removed the glass from his suit before running into the tunnel to get checked out.
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Members of the Colorado Avalanche conversion team carry a new piece of glass onto the Los Angeles Kings bench during the second period of Game 2 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on April 21, 2026. (Jack Dempsey/AP)
Smith was fine and returned to the game.
“Whoever the guy was, he just kept pushing and pushing and pushing,” he called. “I looked back because it hit me a few times and then it broke.”
The incident delayed the match for approximately 15 minutes. The score was even zero when the glass broke. Colorado ultimately won 2-1 in overtime thanks to Nicolas Roy’s game-winning goal. The Avalanche had a 2-0 series lead.
Avalanche star Gabriel Landeskog said he was “loud” when Wedgewood made the save and admitted “the fans were a little too excited.”
Colorado Avalanche left winger Gabriel Landeskog argues a call with referee TJ Luxmore during the second period of Game 2 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings in Denver on April 21, 2026. (Jack Dempsey/AP)
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“There’s nothing you can do to control it. There’s nothing you can do about it, so you just have to deal with it,” he said of the delay. “I think maybe the only thing was there were so many bodies on the ice that it kind of wore down the ice for the rest (of the period).
“I think the ice crew did a good job and did their best to get it fixed as quickly as possible. That doesn’t happen every day.”
Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said the delay was a first for him.
“It’s different,” Bednar said. “But I mean, things are happening. The fans are excited. Our guys were excited and competing hard. There were a lot of scrimmages on the ice today. It was like playoff hockey.”
Los Angeles Kings interim coach DJ Smith talks with center Samuel Helenius during the first period of Game 2 of the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver on April 21, 2026. (Jack Dempsey/AP)
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The third game is scheduled for Thursday evening in Los Angeles.
