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Should NHL penalty box employee be fired over the Holmberg injury?

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 1:52 PM ET

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper is calling for a penalty box attendant to lose his job after Pontus Holmberg was injured Monday night when he fell into a partially open door. The accident appeared to be more a freak timing issue than anything else, but still, that employee has one job — opening and closing the door at the right time.

For Holmberg, it was the worst possible timing. In the replays of the incident, as Holmberg fell to the ice and slid towards the boards, you can see his shoulder/collarbone slam into the unlocked door. There’s a chance he would have been hurt regardless, but the sudden impact into the open siderail has to have made it worse.

Was asked how Holmberg was doing, Cooper’s response was: “Not good.” He doesn’t seem optimistic about his status moving forward.

Cooper spoke more with the media after the game and noted:

“I don’t know who is working the penalty box over there, but I don’t know if they should keep their job after what happened there. Like, leaving the door open. That could have hurt anyone on either team. Those are just dangerous situations so a little frustrated on my part, to be honest.”

If the penalty box door had been properly latched, this injury would have been far less significant. The door amplified the impact of the hit.

Holmberg is a Big Loss for Tampa Bay

Already having a career year, Holmberg has set new highs in goals and points while playing more games than ever before. His line—the Hounds—has been a key unit for Cooper, consistently shutting down top opponents like the Colorado Avalanche, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers.

If Holmberg is out for any length of time, it’s a blow for the Lightning. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 70 games this season.

Does This Employee Deserve to Be Fired?

It’s a hard call to make when asking if an employee should be fired over one mistake. On one hand, people make mistakes all the time, Cooper among them. If each time Cooper made the wrong call — perhaps one that cost Team Canada a gold medal — would everyone be calling for his job? Then again, the kinds of mistakes that Cooper or someone else in hockey might make don’t often lead to serious injuries.

This was an error by the employee in the box, one that might be inexcusable if there wasn’t a player coming out at the exact moment Holmberg slid into it. That’s where this gets iffy. There was a Sabers player waiting to come out, and box attendants will often have their hand on the door latch to open it when the time on a penalty expires. That’s what happened here.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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