Lightning's Pontus Holmberg suffers injury after hitting open penalty box door

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper criticizes arena staff after player is injured in scary incident.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:53am

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A cubist, geometric painting breaking down the moment of impact as Pontus Holmberg collides with an open penalty box door, the scene fractured into sharp, overlapping planes of color.An abstract depiction of the dangerous collision that left Tampa Bay's Pontus Holmberg injured, highlighting the hazardous conditions that contributed to the incident.Buffalo Today

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pontus Holmberg was injured during Monday night's game against the Buffalo Sabres after being driven into the boards and hitting an open penalty box door. The incident occurred near the penalty boxes, where the door was not fully closed, leading to Holmberg's awkward angle of impact. Lightning coach Jon Cooper strongly criticized the arena staff responsible for the open door, saying they may not deserve to keep their job after the dangerous situation that led to Holmberg's injury.

Why it matters

Player safety is a top priority for the NHL, and incidents like this that put players at unnecessary risk due to arena conditions are concerning. The Lightning are in a tight playoff race, so an injury to a key player like Holmberg could have significant implications for their postseason hopes.

The details

In the third period of Monday's game, Pontus Holmberg of the Tampa Bay Lightning was hit hard into the boards near the penalty boxes. However, the door to the penalty box was not fully closed, causing Holmberg's angle of impact to be altered and leading to a scary fall. Holmberg left the game with an undisclosed injury, and Lightning coach Jon Cooper was highly critical of the arena staff responsible for the open door, saying they may not deserve to keep their job after the incident.

  • The incident occurred in the third period of Monday night's game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres.

The players

Pontus Holmberg

A forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning who was injured after being driven into the boards and an open penalty box door.

Jon Cooper

The head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning who strongly criticized the arena staff responsible for the open penalty box door that led to Holmberg's injury.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know who was working the penalty box, but I don't know if they should keep their job after what happened there.”

— Jon Cooper, Head Coach, Tampa Bay Lightning

What’s next

The Lightning will provide an update on the severity of Pontus Holmberg's injury in the coming days. The team and the NHL may also look into the incident and determine if any changes need to be made to penalty box procedures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the importance of arena staff maintaining proper safety protocols to protect players from unnecessary risks. While injuries are an unavoidable part of hockey, this case of an open penalty box door contributing to a player's injury is concerning and raises questions about accountability for such lapses in judgment.