The Vegas Golden Knights finally snatched that sweet, gritty W they’d been chasing, and oh boy, what a ride it was! Reilly Smith turned into a literal hockey magician, netting the game-winner with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock, yeah, blink and you’d miss it. He threw in a slick fake, slid past a flying Nurse, looped around Skinner like it was nothing, and sent that puck dancing across the crease where it ricocheted off Draisaitl’s stick and into the net. Absolute chaos. Karlsson was doing Karlsson things with a goal and assist, Adin Hill held it down with 17 saves, and Vegas bounced back in style to edge past the Oilers 4-3. Even with Mark Stone bowing out early with an upper-body injury, the Knights held strong.

But just when the energy was sky-high, things took a messy left turn. Forget the final seconds, ‘cause the spotlight suddenly flipped to one not-so-golden moment: a heated sideline outburst from a Knights star that almost clocked a poor NHL trainer in the head. Yup, one wrong swing during a mid-game tantrum and suddenly the vibe went from electric to uncomfortable real quick and social media’s already going wild, calling it everything from careless to downright dangerous.

Things got real wild after the buzzer when Rob Gucci hopped on X and dropped a clip that instantly sent shockwaves through hockey X (formerly Twitter). His caption? “Hertl almost cut off the trainer’s head.” And no, that’s not an exaggeration; the footage speaks for itself. Tomas Hertl, the Vegas Golden Knights star, was seen skating over toward the bench, heated from the action. But as he stepped into the bench area, he flung his stick upward, probably just trying to let out some steam… except bam, it unintentionally smacked a trainer who was standing right there. One second it’s a routine line change, the next? The poor trainer’s clutching his head and walking off toward the tunnel, likely off for a quick checkup.

And the fans? Oh, they were not having it. The internet lit up with furious reactions, and let’s just say the NHL community does not hold back. One fan’s comment pretty much summed up the vibe: “They should fine him!” But, people are divided, was it an accident? Was it reckless? Should there be a punishment? The trainer, meanwhile, became the unintended headline, and everyone’s hoping he’s alright after that rough, unexpected hit. But hey, this kind of on-bench madness isn’t totally new in the world of sticks and skates.

Remember back in April? Sportsnet had fans in a chokehold after they shared a mid-game clip from the Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens showdown. Tom Wilson and Josh Anderson went full savage, not just tossing fists on the ice, nope, they took the rumble into the Capitals’ bench like it was WWE night at the rink. The commentator said it best: “Anderson goes into the Washington bench, Wilson trying to get at him, and now they’re fighting in the bench. Anderson and Wilson have gone into the Capitals’ bench. There are a lot of guys on the ice here that shouldn’t be.” Yup. That was pure hockey chaos, and now, Hertl’s unintentional stick swing might be the next viral saga in this wild, bench-side drama series.

Vegas Golden Knights’ star faces the heat by the fans!

And just when you thought the online chaos had peaked, another user popped off with, “Give him 1 yr suspension.” That’s a heavy ask, but not totally outta the blue, especially if you’ve been following Tomas Hertl’s playbook over the years. Because if this suspension chatter turns real, it won’t be Hertl’s first rodeo with the league’s disciplinary squad. Flashback to 2022, back when he was rocking the teal with the San Jose Sharks, and boom, he got slapped with a two-game suspension for high-sticking Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames.

That went down literally two seconds into the third period. Yep, 0:02 on the clock and already in trouble. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety wasn’t playing around either. He lost nearly 88K from his paycheck, with the cash redirected to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. So yeah, fans haven’t forgotten. They’re dragging out the receipts and the sass. One voice in the digital storm even snapped, “Can these babies stop throwing tantrums on the bench? The league should fine Hertl.” And honestly, that one-liner’s got enough spice to set the whole internet on fire.

Another user didn’t hold back and fired off, “F—— hate when athletes do this. If you want to throw a tantrum, at least make sure you’re not gonna hurt anyone with it.” And this ain’t Vegas Golden Knights’ star’s first stroll through the flames. Just rewind to March, and Hockeyfeed was already sounding the alarm. They were straight-up fuming after Hertl’s major oopsie against the Buffalo Sabres. The vibes? Golden Knights were seconds away from sealing the deal with a one-goal lead, and there he was, Hertl, breaking away toward an empty net, the game just hanging there, gift-wrapped. But instead of locking it in himself, he tried to get all generous and pass it to Jack Eichel. Sweet, right? Nope. It backfired big time.

That pass turned into a disaster faster than you could say ‘bad idea,’ and boom, turnover. Cue Rasmus Dahlin, who swooped in like a vengeance-fueled eagle and made him pay for it, dragging the game to overtime. And yep, you guessed it, the Sabres clawed their way back and snatched the win in the shootout. Hertl might be a solid player with a highlight reel full of magic, but even the best trip over their own skates sometimes. And fans? They haven’t exactly let it go. One of them threw down another sizzling quote: “Who slams their stick sideways like that? Imagine if that hit his eye.” Yeah… the internet’s not forgiving, and right now, Hertl’s definitely in the hot seat, again.