Fan saves 4-year-old from being struck when hockey puck flies into stands
Call it a miracle off-ice.
A Cleveland man says he was “meant to be there” to protect a 4-year-old boy from being hit squarely by a hockey puck that flew into the stands during an American Hockey League game last week.
Andrew Podolak, 28, struck down the rogue puck headed straight toward little Nasir Davis during the third period of the Cleveland Monsters hockey game Thursday.
And his quick reflexes sparked a friendship with the boy and his mother, Asia Davis.
Tensions were high on the ice and several fights had broken out before the puck flew off the ice.
Asia Davis detailed the horrifying near-accident in a viral TikTok, describing how the puck came “out of heaven straight towards my son’s head and he blocked it. My son had chips of ice in his hair.”
Video taken during the game by Davis’ friend shows the mother yelling “Oh, my God!” as the puck flies toward them.
Podolak can be seen standing and moving an arm in front of her son, shielding him from the impact.
The relieved mom begged her followers to help her find Podolak, who she said deserved another thank you for stepping in and keeping the boy out of danger.
Hours and nearly 2 million views later, Podolak received her message, and the two reconnected.
“He was like, ‘I was meant to be here,’” Davis said of the serendipitous save, according to NBC News. “And he was. You cannot tell me God is not real.”
Podolak said his first instinct was to “just jump in front” of the speeding puck, reaching his hand out in front of the young boy’s face to protect him.
“It was a crazy experience,” he added.
Podolak said he was seated in section 107, row 7, and seat 7. Davis noted that seven is her lucky number.
“You were meant to be there,” Davis told Podolak. “You’re a really special person and I just hope that you never go a day in your life without knowing that.”
“Everything happens for a reason, right?” Podolak replied.
The new friends were invited back to the Cleveland Monsters, where Nasir had the honor of dropping the puck ahead of Saturday’s game.
