Zednik in stable condition after having surgery on cut neck

Apeshitter

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3240117

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik underwent surgery to close a deep gash on the right side of his neck and was in stable condition Sunday night after he was cut by a teammate's skate during a game.

"The surgery was successful and he's resting comfortably in the hospital," Panthers spokesman Brian Goldman said.

Blood gushed from Zednik's neck after he was hurt midway through the third period of Buffalo's 5-3 victory, creating a frightening moment that delayed the game for about 15 minutes. There was also a brief discussion about postponing the game altogether.

Zednik was behind the play and skating into the right corner of the Sabres' zone, when teammate Olli Jokinen was upended by Sabres forward Clarke MacArthur. Jokinen fell head-first to the ice, and his right leg flew up and struck Zednik directly on the side of the neck.

Clutching his neck, Zednik raced to the Florida bench, leaving a long trail of blood. When he arrived, he nearly fell into the arms of a team trainer, who quickly applied a towel to the cut. Zednik was then helped off the ice by the trainer and teammate Jassen Cullimore, and escorted to the Panthers' dressing room.

"We shouldn't have finished the game," Jokinen said. "I saw the replay, that it was my skate that hit him in the throat. I think we were all in shock. I've never seen anything like that. There are bigger things than [finishing the game]. It was terrifying.

"I didn't think anyone on our team was thinking hockey out there after an injury like that. If it was my call, I would have gone to the hospital with him.

.....

Several Florida players were shaken after seeing the gruesome injury.

"It's something you never want to see," Panthers center Stephen Weiss told The Miami Herald. "It's the worst thing I've ever seen in hockey. The worst went through my mind ... Just his face [when he was] coming off [the ice], was just, you know, something you don't want to see. I don't know how to explain it, but it was a scary look. He looked very scared."

Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun described the situation off the ice.

"I walked in and saw him on the stretcher," Vokoun told The Herald. "I was very concerned when he came off. He was obviously very scared. He was conscious, I guess, that's what the trainer said. His eyes were closed, but he was moving and moaning."

Zednik's injury was eerily reminiscent of an injury sustained by Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk about 19 years ago at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium. On March 22, 1989, Malarchuk severed his jugular vein when St. Louis Blues forward Steve Tuttle was upended while skating toward the crease, slicing Malarchuk with a skate.

"I was back here watching, and I knew what it was right away," Sabres longtime equipment manager Rip Simonick told The Buffalo News. "Just like that night."

Malarchuk required over 300 stitches but spent only one night in the hospital, returning to practice after four days. On April 2, he played the final five minutes in the season finale, less than two weeks after his injury.

Panthers defenseman Steve Montador recalled seeing Zednik in a state of shock as he got to the bench.

"He looked pale, he was obviously standing and to a degree, coherent. But he didn't look as focused as you or I right now. He was staring at nothing," Montador said. "That's a pretty brave guy to realize what's going on: Grab your neck and get off the ice."
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I lost my hole, the one in my moniker. Didn't figger I needed it here.

saaha · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:34 pm Post subject:

Lord, I hope he'll recover quickly. It sucks for any player to be seriously injured.

chiroptera · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

AMEN to that
I hate it when ANYBODY is bleeding

this game needs to become a game of honor and grit

not injuries and cheap shot artists

I hope Zednik heals rapidly and returns to the ice

BTW: Dallas and the gretzsky 'yotes are playing a tight one

GO STARS

chiro

saaha · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject:

Stars WIN