VIDEO: Predators broadcaster takes puck to head during interview

Predators radio play-by-play man Willy Daunic took an errant puck right to the head while doing an interview for the team's website.

By Chris Peters

Dec 31, 2014 at 4:52 am ET • 1 min read

Before every NHL game, fans are told to be aware of flying pucks as they could leave the playing surface at any time. When you add in dozens more pucks for warmups or practice, pucks are pretty much guaranteed to leave the playing surface.

For media, however, sometimes they have no choice but to be in the line of fire when putting together some of their pregame offerings. A rink with a bunch of players skating around usually offers a better backdrop than a cement wall, of course. Turns out, that hanging around the rink during morning skate can be a little dangerous. Willy Daunic, play-by-play voice of the Nashville Predators, was the latest to fall victim to an errant puck as he was taping a pregame segment with TV color analyst Stu Grimson.

Daunic was doing a standup for the Preds’ web channel and as he was just getting going, the St. Louis Blues came out for their pregame skate ahead of Tuesday night’s contest against the Preds and the pucks started flying.

The Preds’ voice was setting up his next question for Gimson when there was a distinctive click off the glass. That sound was followed by a pretty loud thud as a puck smacked Daunic right in the top of the head... hard.

OUCH.

The Preds have actually had some pretty terrible luck with staff getting hit by pucks over the last few years. The team’s communications coordinator, Brooks Bratten, took a puck to the dome earlier this year, but was OK.

Last season, general manager David Poile was severely injured when an errant Shea Weber shot during a pregame practice ricocheted from the playing surface and hit him in the eye. It forced Poile to miss the Olympics after building the U.S. entry and may still have permanent effects.

These incidents can be severe, but luckily Daunic appeared to be alright and called the Blues-Preds game as planned Tuesday night. No matter where he goes in his career, he can always say that he took an NHL shot to the head and lived to tell the tale.

[H/T Puck Daddy]