PHOENIX — After Monday’s morning skate, Jason Spezza was asked for his thoughts on wearing a helmet during the pre-game skate, as a precaution against accidents such as the one that befell Edmonton’s Taylor Hall.

Spezza said when he was a kid he liked to see the players without their helmets, so he’d take his chances. Whoops. During the pre-game skate, Spezza caught a puck over the right eye and had to leave for about seven stitches.

The irony didn’t escape him.

“Yeah, I should have never talked to you guys about it in the morning, pretty much,” he said.

“Just bad karma, I guess.”

Oh, and he hasn’t changed his mind about not wearing a helmet during pre-game skates.