A man contacted our Whistleblower Hotline saying his daughter suffered serious injuries after getting hit in the face by a puck at Scheels Arena, and he now wants more safety netting around the ice.

Yet, Scheel Arena and Fargo Force General Manager Jon Kram told Valley News Live the solution is not that simple.

“The discussion around netting is what's the balance between the entertainment factor and the safety factor,” Kram said

Jeff Lewis said he was with his family at Scheels Arena on Saturday, February 15 sitting at center ice when a puck came flying into the stands.

“Now she can't shut her mouth, so she's on a liquid diet. Going on for a minimum of three months,” Lewis said.

Lewis said the puck hit his daughter in the mouth pushing her four front teeth back and busting her lips wide open.

“[The puck] was deflected, just think if it came over faster. It's going to smack someone really bad, it would've put my daughter's teeth into my wife's face,” Lewis said.

Lewis said it was a scary situation and stadium staff did respond quickly. Still, he believes the arena could do more to protect onlookers.

“I just wish that the Scheels Arena from the beginning would have put a net completely around. I know people complain about that, but it's better than having your teeth pushed in,” Lewis said.

According to Scheels Arena, it has taken numerous steps over the last few years to protect fans that are sitting in the stands.

“We do hear comments on the end seats that the netting is in the way, it makes it tougher to see the puck or it’s maybe a distraction,” Kram said.

Kram said they follow the industry standard on fan safety and only two people so far this year have been treated by EMT for injuries.

“We want non-hockey fans to come out and they are going to the view game. But yet, that overall feeling, and watching without a net in front of you, is really a positive experience for these fans,” Kram said.

The arena takes several precautions, including telling fans before the game and during it to be careful for oncoming pucks. Fans also aren’t allowed to walk onto their seats during play for this reason.

Scheels Arena plans to discuss safety measures during the off-season where the topic of netting around the arena is expected to come up.