SUNRISE, Fla. - In normal hockey situations, the primary objective of winger Richard Zednik, who skates on Florida's No. 1 line, is to score.
But on Feb. 10, when the skate of linemate Olli Jokinen punctured his carotid artery during the third period of the Panthers' 5-3 loss to Buffalo, Zednik had a different priority.
Get to the bench.
"I knew I got in trouble," recalled Zednik, who yesterday made his first appearance before the media since suffering the life-threatening injury. "My job is to get up as soon as possible. When somebody gets injured and the trainer comes to the ice, everything takes time. I know that every second is important for me. I was holding my neck and skating to the bench. That was what was on my mind."
Had Zednik remained on the
Yesterday, Zednik spoke at a podium at the BankAtlantic Center along with general manager/coach Jacques Martin. There was a pink scar on the right side of his neck, but Zednik showed no other signs of significant injury, speaking clearly and looking otherwise healthy.
It was a different story Feb. 10. When Jokinen's skate entered his neck, Zednik recalled that he felt as if he'd been stabbed. Immediately recognizing the severity of the puncture to his carotid artery, he put his glove to his throat and hurried to the bench. Once he got off the ice, he was feeling weaker already.
With Zenobi at his side, Zednik staggered to the dressing room. There, a doctor whose name Zednik couldn't recall nearly squeezed the air out of him to slow the bleeding.
Zednik was transported to Buffalo General Hospital, where Dr. Sonya Noor led the procedure to repair his carotid artery. Meanwhile, Zednik's wife, Jessica, traveled to Buffalo from South Florida on a chartered jet, leaving behind 4-year-old daughter Ella.
When Jessica arrived at the hospital, doctors informed her of her husband's condition, warning her that such an injury could lead to brain damage because Zednik had lost five units of blood. But Zednik came through the surgery without setbacks and began the recovery process. He said he was overwhelmed by the calls and e-mails he received from hockey fans worldwide. Even Ivan Gasparovic, president of Slovakia, called to check on his health.
At his first opportunity, Zednik called Jokinen to assure him he would be OK.
"I knew how he must be feeling," said Zednik. "I told him it was an accident, I'm OK, I'm doing fine."
The Zedniks remained in Buffalo until last Friday. Zednik, who will not play again this season, is scheduled to undergo an ultrasound March 18 to monitor the healing, then is expected to take it easy for another four weeks before he resumes training. Zednik, 32, should be ready for training camp in September, when he'll take to the ice with a neck guard. He totaled 15 goals and 11 assists in 54 games this season. He scored two goals in Florida's 6-3 win over the Bruins one night before the injury.
"I think the first game is going to be emotional," said Zednik. "Right now I feel good. I could go skate and shoot the puck. It's not like I'm afraid to go on the ice. I have the whole summer to prepare. I can't wait to go on the ice. I don't think it's going to be a problem. I know it was an accident. I feel good. I'm healthy. I'm lucky to be here to talk to you guys. I can't wait to return."
Zednik has seen the replay once. He wanted to see how Jokinen's skate sailed into the air and dug into his neck, and whether he could have gotten out of the way. He has no plans to see it again.
"I watched it once," said Zednik. "That's enough."
