Leah Hextall almost gets taken out by hockey stick on live television!

It is a new hockey season for NHL fans, however, the same can’t be said for ESPN on-ice reporter Leah Hextall. For most of the 2021-22 season, Hextall was perched between the two benches during several games weekly, and fans were quick to criticize her every move and comment. She sustained terrible abuse on social media and had to deal with the brutal comments all season long.

On opening night on Tuesday in the game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Kings in Los Angeles, Hextall was back in between benches. She was already going viral on social media, but it got worse when she was almost taken out by a stick during a play, missing her face by very little. Afterwards, Hextall handed back the stick, but was also the victim of brutal comments on Twitter with fans wanting her to be out cold…

All night, Hextall trended because she has a new look, which some fans called gothic, and was excited about the action kicking off again on the calendar.

While she got close to the action in a dangerous position, it feels like what she endured and will need to for the rest of the year on the broadcast is even more painful…

Hextall knows the game and comes from a royal hockey family. Her grandfather, Bryan Hextall Sr., is a Hall of Famer and key player for the Rangers in their 1940 Stanley Cup conquest. Her uncle, Bryan Hextall Jr., played 10 years in the league in the 1960s and 1970s. Her cousin, Ron Hextall, well he needs no introduction, a top goalie in the NHL for 13 years with the Flyers, Nordiques and Islanders.

Let’s hope she can shake it off and tackle the next game without too much damage…

And let's remember : practice makes perfect.