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During the New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes game on Thursday, there was a terrifying moment when Devils head coach Lindy Ruff was hit in the head by a puck.
Ruff, sixty-three, was hurt in the second period and was not able to play in the third.
About six and a half minutes remained in the second period when a Hurricanes player appeared to be clearing the puck out of Carolina’s own zone, but instead it went straight toward the bench, where it was aimed at Ruff.
On January 20, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey, head coach Lindy Ruff (R) of the New Jersey Devils gets ready for his team’s game against the Dallas Stars at Prudential Center. (Getty Images/Bruce Bennett)
Per the broadcast, Ruff was struck by the puck on the side of his head. Trainers were tending to him; it appeared that they were keeping Ruff upright on the bench.
During the game, Devils associate coach Travis Green reported that Ruff was feeling “a little better.”.
Green stated, “I just wasn’t feeling right.” On the other hand, the improvement was “great to see.”
Green continued, “You never like to see what happened out there.” “Obviously, it happens once in a while.”
The glass boards on the benches are not there because of the rapid line changes that occur during play, but fans are protected from pucks, players, and other objects that may fly into the stands.
As a precaution, the team announced on Friday afternoon that Ruff would not be practicing on the ice.
Head coach of the New Jersey Devils, Lindy Ruff, watches during the second period of their NHL game at Rogers Arena on December 5, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, against the Vancouver Canucks. (Getty Images/Derek Cain)
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When reporting at the ice level last month, Buffalo Sabres broadcaster Rob Ray was directly shot by a puck, leaving him bleeding profusely.
In a rematch of the Eastern Conference semifinal game from the previous year, New Jersey was defeated 3-2.
After Ruff took over the Devils in 2020, things have been love-hate with him ever since. “Fire Lindy” chants echoed through Prudential Center during his second season, but last year, during their 13-game winning streak, those same fans chanted “Sorry Lindy.”
Devils and Lindy Ruff
October 3, 2022, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff and associate coach Andrew Brunette behind the benches against the Boston Bruins. (Getty Images/Rich Graessle)
The fans are once again upset with Ruff because of his team’s 24-19-3 record, which keeps them out of the playoffs. The Devils have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, including to their breakout player, Jack Hughes.
Nonetheless, he has the fourth-most wins in NHL history with the Devils, Sabres, and Blue Jackets (858 total).
