NHLRecap
Pens' Crosby: 'Urgency is heightened' down 0-2
Crosby emphasizes urgency for Penguins as they face 0-2 deficit against Flyers.
ESPN News1 min read
NHLRecap
WATCH: Glass shatters on D.J. Smith, Kings bench as Avalanche fans celebrate penalty shot denial
TL;DR
During the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Colorado Avalanche fans shattered the glass behind the Los Angeles Kings bench while celebrating a penalty shot denial. The incident occurred during the Avalanche's 2-1 overtime victory over the Kings.
Key points
- Avalanche fans celebrated a penalty shot denial
- Glass shattered behind the Kings bench
- D.J. Smith was hit by falling glass
- Game ended with Avalanche winning 2-1 in overtime
- Incident occurred during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Mentioned in this story
D.J. Smith
Colorado AvalancheLos Angeles KingsStanley Cup Playoffs 2026
Getty Images
The glass shattering at an NHL game isn't exactly a new phenomenon. When frozen pucks are flying at 100 mph, and 200-pound bodies are crashing into the boards, it happens from time to time, but what about when fans simply get a little too excited?
In one of the more bizarre moments of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs to this point, Colorado Avalanche fans got so excited during Tuesday night's 2-1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings that they shattered the glass behind the visitors' bench. Fans were banging on the glass so hard that it shattered and rained down upon Kings interim coach D.J. Smith.
THIS IS INSANE: THE FANS IN COLORADO WERE SO HYPED FOR THE PENALTY SHOT SAVE THAT THEY SHATTERED THE GLASS BEHIND THE KINGS BENCH 😱🤯 pic.twitter.com/WYMgGZCQgl
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 22, 2026
Luckily for Smith -- and everyone else on the Kings bench -- it wasn't actual glass. The NHL uses Plexiglass around the rink, so while Smith might be fishing pieces of it out of his suit for the next month, there was no harm done. There was a 15-20 minute delay as the Ball Arena crew cleaned up the broken glass and put the new panel in place.
That moment occurred immediately after Kings forward Quinton Byfield was robbed by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood on a penalty shot attempt in the second period. Based on the enthusiasm of the fan behind him, Smith wasn't exactly surprised when the glass finally gave way.
"After the penalty shot, the guy just kept pushing and pushing and pushing," Smith said. "I looked back because it hit me a bunch of times, and then it broke."
Q&A
What caused the glass to shatter behind the Kings bench?
The glass shattered due to excited Avalanche fans banging on it while celebrating a penalty shot denial.
What was the outcome of the game between the Avalanche and Kings?
The Colorado Avalanche won the game against the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime.
Who is D.J. Smith in relation to the incident?
D.J. Smith is the interim coach of the Los Angeles Kings who was present on the bench when the glass shattered.
