“I would sue”: Fans slam Tomáš Hertl after he lashes out on bench and accidentally smacks trainer in shocking moment

Things got way too intense on the Vegas Golden Knights bench during Game 3 and it had nothing to do with the scoreboard. In a wild moment caught on camera, Tomáš Hertl, clearly frustrated with his performance, slammed his stick in anger… and almost took out a member of his own team staff. Yes, literally. The trainer had to rush off for medical attention, and fans are still trying to wrap their heads around how that even happened.

Tomáš Hertl's frustration boiled over during the game and it went terribly wrong
It was one of those "blink and you’ll miss it" moments that somehow managed to go viral instantly. During Friday night's playoff battle against the Edmonton Oilers , Hertl came back to the bench fuming after a bad shift. But instead of shaking it off like most players do, he violently swung his stick backward and caught the trainer standing behind him right in the head.

Hertl almost cut off the trainers head pic.twitter.com/OxSYEACDZm

— Rob Gucci (@heatdaddy69420) May 11, 2025

The trainer, stunned and clearly in pain, was seen immediately leaving the bench for medical evaluation. Thankfully, reports confirmed he returned later in the game, but the whole scene was enough to make fans and players cringe. Hertl didn’t seem to immediately realize the severity of what he did, but by the time the clip hit the internet, it was already a full-blown talking point.

Fans call out Hertl as video of the incident goes viral on social media
The NHL internet did what it does best: zoomed, clipped, slowed it down and reacted hard. Social media flooded with clips of the hit, with fans asking, “How does this even happen?” Some called it an unfortunate accident, others weren’t so forgiving.

The lack of empathy for hurting him is what’s unsettling. Just say you’re sorry bro

— B³ (@BensonBunnyBoy) May 11, 2025

Can these babies stop throwing tantrums on the bench? The league should fine Hertl

— Blockchainist (@blockchainist21) May 11, 2025

That’s some next level training right there. I bet he won’t do that again and he’ll control his ego a bit better then he had prior to this 😂

— Logical Mind (@LogicMindz) May 11, 2025

I would sue

— Teek (@Teekaero) May 11, 2025

What a retard.

— It’s Linus (@pstofcdrpbx) May 11, 2025

While no official statement has been made from the league or the team, some fans believe discipline could be on the table if it’s ruled as reckless behavior.

Hockey benches are emotional war zones during the postseason. Every shift matters, every mistake stings but that doesn’t mean players can lash out without thinking. Trainers, medical staff, and support crews stand inches away from players. When emotions spill over, one bad move could lead to a serious injury, just like we saw here.

Also read - Bruce Cassidy slams NHL refs for missed trip that injured Brayden McNabb and led to OT loss