Avalanche HC Jared Bednar blames Oilers, not Nathan MacKinnon, for Connor Ingram’s injury

Although Nathan MacKinnon made contact with Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made it clear it was Darnell Nurse who was behind the concussion sustained by the goaltender in the 2025-26 NHL season.

“I really don’t give a cr– if their goalie’s hurt. That’s on their defenseman [Darnell Nurse], not on our guy,” Bednar stated after the game, via @GinoHard_ on X. “If you put guys into your own goalie, that’s not a penalty.”

Bednar’s blunt response is nothing new for fans around the NHL who have grown used to his postgame media availabilities. However, his latest message on MacKinnon and the Oilers is one particularly noisy and disruptive. As expected, it didn’t take long for users on social media to react.

Fans’ reaction to the play and Bednar’s statement

As many fans noted, Bednar’s message may have consequences for the Avalanche going forward. “So what he is saying is that it’s open season on his goalie as long as you run into a defenseman first. Ok then,” an user on X said. “He’s not wrong on the Nurse front. It is pretty classless to say that about Ingram,” another fan commented.

It may be a bit of a stretch, but the door could now be open for retaliation. Colorado will visit Edmonton on April 13. It may look like a long way down the road, but that doesn’t change the fact the Oilers may seek some form of revenge. In the NHL, teams don’t forget, and Ingram going down with a concussion won’t sit right with Edmonton for a while.

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MacKinnon was handed a game misconduct

While Bednar pleads MacKinnon’s case after the 4-3 loss to the Oilers, there wasn’t much he could do to let him off the officiating’s hook. MacKinnon was assessed a five-minute major for goaltender interference and a game misconduct.

With MacKinnon out of the game for the entire third period, the Avs conceded the decisive goal as Connor McDavid cashed in on a power play at 9:03 of the final frame. Thanks to their captain, the Oilers escaped Mile High City with a statement win.