Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar is back on the bench, sporting a fresh bruise and a hard-earned lesson after a puck found its way to his face last weekend. The incident, which occurred during a game against Vegas, forced him to miss a two-game road trip for evaluation, but he's been cleared to return for the team's regular-season finale against Seattle.

The injury happened in a flash. Standing behind the bench, a puck deflected off the stick of Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar, sailed over the glass, and struck Bednar squarely on the right cheek. "I would have had to have been Derek Jeter to not get hit with that one," Bednar quipped, referencing the legendary Yankees shortstop's famed defensive prowess.

Diagnosed with facial fractures and a corneal abrasion, Bednar underwent a series of tests. Fortunately, the scans came back positive, and after a few days of monitoring his eye, he was given the all-clear. The visible reminder under his right eye taught him a specific coaching point: "Keep your head on a swivel and your hands out of your pocket."

Despite the close call, don't expect to see Bednar donning a helmet behind the bench anytime soon. "No," said the winningest coach in franchise history. "It’s just part of the game." He acknowledged the frequent near-misses that come with the territory of an NHL bench.

In his absence, assistant coaches Nolan Pratt and Dave Hakstol steered the ship to a perfect 2-0 road trip, with wins over Edmonton and Calgary. Bednar watched from afar, gaining a unique perspective by listening to opposing teams' broadcasts—a rare opportunity for a head coach in the thick of a playoff race.

His return is a welcome sight for an Avalanche squad that has clinched the top record in the NHL this season. However, the team will continue to be without defenseman Josh Manson, who remains out with an upper-body injury as they prepare for the postseason.