Jared Bednar suffers facial fractures, will miss Avalanche road trip
Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Jared Bednar won't be behind the bench for Colorado's next 2 games after the Avalanche head coach suffered facial fractures and a corneal abrasion.
Colorado confirmed on April 12 that Bednar will not travel on the club's upcoming 2-game road trip, though he will not need surgery at this time and is expected to make a full recovery.
That changes the feel around this team right away.
Bednar isn't just a face behind the bench.
He's the coach who has driven Colorado's identity for years, and his absence lands at the worst time on the calendar.
The injury came one night earlier during Colorado's 3-2 overtime loss to Vegas at Ball Arena on April 11.
Bednar was hit in the face by a puck and was taken to a hospital afterward.
On the replay, the puck jumps up fast, catches Bednar flush, and the bench reaction is instant as players and staff turn toward him in shock.
Colorado's update did bring one bit of relief.
No surgery is needed, and the team said Bednar is expected to make a full recovery, which takes some of the edge off a scary scene.
This is where the story shifts from the clip to the bench.
Jared Bednar out for 2 Avalanche games after scary puck injury
Assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol are the two names that matter now.
Pratt is Bednar's longest-running bench partner in Colorado, while Hakstol is in his 1st season with the staff.
Pratt, in particular, gives the Avalanche some stability here.
He is in his 10th season as an assistant in Colorado and has worked alongside Bednar since their time with the Springfield Falcons in 2012-13.
That matters because Bednar's voice has shaped nearly everything about this era.
He is the winningest coach in franchise history with a 390-246-64 record in 700 regular-season games behind the bench.
He has also led Colorado to 8 straight playoff berths, which is why even a short absence becomes a real storyline.
The structure, the bench rhythm, and the in-game adjustments all run through him.
The good news for Colorado is that this doesn't sound like a long-term shutdown.
The bad news is simpler: Bednar won't be there for the next 2 stops, and that's enough to test a room this close to the postseason.
For now, the Avalanche can breathe because the update could have been much worse.
But the image of Bednar getting clipped by that puck is going to stay with this team until he's back on the bench.
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