This is why I write hockey and not crime: Words fail me in trying to describe how absolutely frightening and horrific this moment from today's Florida Panthers/Buffalo Sabres game was, as Panthers forward Richard Zednik was accidentally slashed on the throat by teammate Olli Jokinen's skate, severing his jugular vein, according to the Buffalo News. The Miami Herald has more on the injury, including news that the bleeding has stopped.
The look of every player and coach on those benches tells the story. From the News: "Gasps came from the sellout crowd in HSBC Arena as it saw the more than 100-foot blood trail on the ice. After a 15-minute delay, the public-address announcer relayed that Zednik was in stable condition and on his way to a Buffalo hospital. Fans responded with a standing ovation, but silence quickly returned."
More from BfloBlog here; and while there's no update yet, keep on eye on the Miami Herald's Panthers blog for more. This is the second skate-to-the-head incident in the NHL over the weekend, as linesman Pat Dapuzzo was slashed in the Rangers/Flyers game Saturday night. And as the Buffalo News pointed out, today's incident had an eerie echo back to the most gruesome injury ever televised in the NHL: Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk nearly bleeding to death when he was slashed in the throat back in 1989.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. this really is terrible. Accidents do happen, but this is too frightening. i think that there should be a neckguard rule in the nhl; it might look stupid, but this is just way too horrific.
Posted at 6:21AM on Feb 11th 2008 by Noah Epstein
2. After a long cold day it was supposed to be that time in the weekend when you can finaly relax,lay back and enjoy your favorite hockey team who after a slow early start have been playing passionette,hungry hockey. SUDDENLY... Richard Sednicks neck was inniocently slashed...at first I felt terror as I wanted some one to help this man as blood poured out of his throat..... I only wished I could put my hand on his throat and help him .... At first I felt helpless....and then the holy spirit reminded me who could help!!! Jesus! I cried out to him to provide people and resources for him..I called other believers to pray for him and then God hand working thru people saved his life... praise Jesus!!! A Sabres Fan, A Zednick FAN and MOST OF ALL A JESUS FAN !!!
Posted at 9:47AM on Feb 11th 2008 by shawn tybor
3. After a long cold day it was supposed to be that time in the weekend when you can finaly relax,lay back and enjoy your favorite hockey team who after a slow early start have been playing passionette,hungry hockey. SUDDENLY... Richard Sednicks neck was inniocently slashed...at first I felt terror as I wanted some one to help this man as blood poured out of his throat..... I only wished I could put my hand on his throat and help him .... At first I felt helpless....and then the holy spirit reminded me who could help!!! Jesus! I cried out to him to provide people and resources for him..I called other believers to pray for him and then God hand working thru people saved his life... praise Jesus!!! A Sabres Fan, A Zednick FAN and MOST OF ALL A JESUS FAN !!!
Posted at 9:55AM on Feb 11th 2008 by shawn tybor
4. Jesus had as much influence on Zednik's doctors as he had on Jokkinen's skate.
Posted at 10:39AM on Feb 11th 2008 by alex
5. It was a horrible freak accident that happened and I am glad that he is going to be ok... Those Doctors that were on hand at that game saved his life because he could have bleed to death in just a just over a minute... I hope he fully recovers and returns to the Panthers...
Posted at 11:33AM on Feb 11th 2008 by Sean
6. Rišo sme s Tebou!!!!!!!
Posted at 1:58PM on Feb 11th 2008 by vlasto
7. I agree, neckguards should be used in the nhl. if he would have been wearing one, chances are this wouldn't have happened. Although it wasn't his fault. The games just too rough and your neck NEEDS to be protected
Posted at 9:17PM on Feb 11th 2008 by Mike
8. Pretty bad incident and extremely hard to see. We hope that nhl won't wait t'ill players die before doing something more relevant...here in Montreal we haven't forgot Richard and wish him best of luck.
Posted at 6:17AM on Feb 12th 2008 by mindfreak
9. Risko,prajem skore uzdravenie a skory navrat na lad.drzim ti palce.posielam vsetkych anjelov straznych,nech stoja pri tebe a davaju na teba pozor.tvoja obdivovatelka a fanynka hokeja Viera z Banskej Bystrice
Posted at 12:41PM on Feb 12th 2008 by vierka
10. Riso,si frajer ako si zvladol tu hroznu situaciu.Cele Slovensko je v duchu s Tebou.Prajeme Ti skore uzdravenie.MARIAN.PIESTANY.
Posted at 3:50PM on Feb 15th 2008 by Marian Bileny
11. Richard drz sa,skore uzdravenie ti praje cele Slovensko ako aj cela Foncorda.
Posted at 2:07PM on Feb 16th 2008 by Peter Zliechovsky
12. Hey Shawn, how come Jesus cut his throat in the first place?
Posted at 6:36AM on Mar 21st 2008 by Mark