Tricia Drummond opened her eyes, staring at a group of people that were staring down at her. She wasn’t sure how she ended up on the Verizon Center floor. She didn’t know why she was bleeding, because she didn’t feel any pain. She had no clue that a puck had flown from the rink and rocketed off her right temple, knocking her unconscious in the third period of the Washington Capitals’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.

Or that a nasty gash had opened up over her eye.

It wasn’t the first puck she had taken to the head, having played hockey since she was eight years old, growing up in New Jersey and then in Central Virginia as an adult. But that rubber bounced off her helmet; this puck ripped open her forehead.

“My worst hockey injury, and I was a spectator. Go figure,” Drummond told Yahoo Sports on Monday.

EMS workers took Drummond down to a medical room in the arena, where her injury was examined. It was determined she needed stitches.

 Then she heard Alex Ovechkin tie the game in the final minute of the third period to complete a three-goal rally against the Flyers.

“I’ll get stitches later,” she said.

So Drummond returned to her seat near the glass and the Flyers’ bench, wearing a blood-stained Ovechkin sweater and with gauze pressed tightly on her gaping wound. From there she watched Washington win in a (thankfully short) shootout, 5-4.

She had driven over two hours from Williamsburg to witness one of the Capitals’ biggest wins this season. She left with quite an unexpected souvenir.

This is a testament to two things: true fan dedication and the insanity of hockey fans. No big deal, Tricia takes a solid rubber death brick off the dome. It knocks her out cold, breaks open her head, and probably gives her a concussion, but it couldn’t take away the dedication to her team. When you select a favorite team, whether it be by location, or choice, you stick by that team! Nothing in the world gets between you and the team you would give your last breath for. Tricia Drummond oozes what it means to be a “fan”. She walks the walk, talks the talk, and takes pucks off the noggin and keeps on truckin’.

This should also be a wakeup call to all sports fans out there. Next time you think to call someone out on their fanship, think about Tricia. Think about how when her head was split open there was no way she was missing Ovie and the gang beat the bad guys. Then take a good look at yourself before you start passing judgement.

-Matt