A Chicago Blackhawks fan was injured by falling glass, but she stayed anyway. (CSN Chicago)
A Chicago Blackhawks fan was injured by falling glass, but she stayed anyway. (CSN Chicago)

During the first period of Friday night’s game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers at the United Center, one Blackhawks fan found out that seats a few rows off the glass can bring the game a little closer than you’d expect.

After Oilers forward Benoit Pouliot delivered a body check on Hawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson in the corner, the glass came loose. It first hit a cameraman, who was filming along the glass. That caused the big pane to tilt. Instead of falling flat for fans to more easily catch the glass, it became a much more dangerous situation.

GIF via kdg123 on Reddit:

 The young woman who was hit by the glass was cut and appeared to be bleeding from her head. Normally that’s an automatic trip to the first-aid room and possibly even to the hospital to get proper medical attention.

But in the NHL, even the fans are tough. The young lady decided that she’d rather have her head wrapped up than miss out on the rest of the game. According to Richard Roeper, the fan said stiches could wait because it was her first Blackhawks game.

That’s hockey.

UPDATE: Sportsnet's Gene Princepe caught up with Alexis Bovard, the toughest fan in the NHL for an unforgettable interview (and the reverse angle of the impact -- which looks way more painful from this side):