The Blackhawks pulled out a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Chicago on penalty shots Friday night. But they were hardly the toughest people at United Center.
When Benoit Pouliot checked Niklas Hjalmarsson into the boards in the first period, one of the glass panels was jarred loose and fell on Alexis Bovard, who was at her first Blackhawks game. She took a hit to the head, was checked out and, because she’s a hockey fan, stayed in the game.
“If I even remember correctly, I was watching the game and you know the big hits come to the glass and the next thing I know the glass is on my head and blood is everywhere and people are all around me and I make it up the stairs and hear all these applause, which was nice to hear,” Bovard told Sportsnet reporter Gene Principe:
By any account, Bovard was incredibly lucky. The glass panels can weigh anywhere from 50 pounds up and she escaped with just a few stitches – perhaps this is just the price paid for getting those seats at her first NHL game.
How she wasn’t one of the three stars is a mystery, though. Here’s another look at how the scene unfolded:
