Flames assistant Martin Gelinas unharmed after falling off ladder while washing windows

Martin Gelinas' knack for eliminating postseason opponents apparently doesn't translate to window smudges.

The Calgary Flames' assistant coach, known as "The Eliminator" for his countless overtime heroics, was relatively unharmed after falling 10 feet onto his back when his ladder gave out while he was washing windows. 

"I'm an idiot," he told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. 

"Typical man – I was trying to be brave and do things myself by washing windows on a beautiful day last Saturday. I was on the ladder trying to take that last step up onto the roof and the ladder gave out. I grabbed the gutter, but it's so sharp it just sliced me open, I had to let it go."

Unlike every "typical man," Gelinas' hockey instincts took over. 

"I got lucky, and I got up and I'm thinking, 'OK, everything's good.' I'm trying to put the ladder back up and get going again, and a neighbour comes over and says I'm leaking everywhere. My (left) hand and my leg were pouring blood. The ladder fell on me and did some damage to my leg. It was a big kerfuffle."

The 44-year-old totaled 18 stitches on his hand and leg, but should be available for some serious ribbing when the Flames open training camp later this month.