Woe to the camera man; “WHOA DUDE, a camera man!”: NHL player runs over video-journalist (Video)

Being a camera man at professional sporting events seems like one of the sweetest gigs around…but that’s before you consider the occupational hazards, which happen to include the possibility of a fully-padded right wing for the Nashville Predators cross-checking your teeth out like a wayward Russian as he comes out for introductions (replete with a fog machine, a continually surprising choice for a game played inside a refrigerator). Check out the accidental-but-awesome hit below, and make sure to wait for the point-of-view shot recorded from the camera in question– I imagine it’s akin to what a robot sees before it gets concussed.

Not sure what exactly Matt Halischuk missed about the human being holding recording equipment in front of him (one his teammates had no trouble in avoiding); maybe he just wanted to shake the cobwebs loose and get a shot in as a warm-up, or maybe the guy is just a big supporter of radio.

In his defense, the smoke (again, why?) did cloud up more by that point and reduced visibility in the  area surrounding those snazzy 10-ft tall inflatable fangs, but aren’t hockey players supposed to be graceful out there on the ice? That had all the grace of John Daly at a strip club brunch…and really, only half the violence.

Now if you’ll pardon me, I’m going to watch this video on repeat for another hour or so. My favorite part is when the camera man gets hit.

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Unlucky Camera Man Gets Run Over By An NHL Player [Behind the Grid]