What happens when a puck launched by an NHL player meets a camera lens?
Just ask Tennessean photographer Denny Simmons.
“It shattered into about 1,000 pieces,” Simmons said following a one-in-a-million collision during the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning game at Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 28.
While on assignment for The Tennessean, Simmons was in position to shoot the game using one of the holes built for photographers along the tempered glass walls. These holes allow for photographers to shoot the game without glass in front of their lens.
Most of the time, the puck avoids these holes. But during the second period of this game, as Predators‘ defenseman Justin Barron looked to clear the puck from the goal crease, the puck made a direct hit into the hole, destroying Simmons’ camera lens.
The puck stayed in play, sailing into the neutral zone after destroying the lens. For a moment, players thought the puck went out of play — it was an unusual bounce off the glass. But play continued, unfortunately for Nashville because Tampa’s Brandon Hagel scored a goal only a few seconds later.
Btw I believe I found the moment his lens was shattered. Justin Barron was the culprit.
Also Tampa scored a few seconds later, how crazy pic.twitter.com/leOEhukEMP
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) October 29, 2025
While Simmons’ camera lens was shattered and beyond repair, he reported only a minor injury. A small cut on his nose, nothing a bandage couldn’t fix. And in true hockey fashion, he was right back out there for the third period, ready to shoot.
“I’m a lot better off than my poor lens,” Simmons said.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.