February 11th

ZEDNIK HAS SURGERY TO CLOSE NECK GASH

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 in Buffalo.

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

Zednik's injury left players and coaches on both benches stunned, and a silent hush fell over the crowd at HSBC Arena.

NHL vice president Colin Campbell consulted with Sabres general manager Darcy Regier and referee Bill McCreary in a tunnel after Zednik was loaded into an ambulance. Campbell, who was not available for comment, attended the game in part because his son, Gregory, plays for the Panthers.

In a statement, the NHL said that Campbell talked to commissioner Gary Bettman and decided to continue the game after knowing that Zednik was stable, and that the teams were willing to go on.

The league said: "The thoughts and prayers of the NHL family are with Richard Zednik, his loved ones, his teammates and the Florida Panthers organization."

As crews scraped the blood from the ice and the surface was cleaned by Zambonis during the extended delay, the public address announcer said: "Richard Zednik is in stable condition and on his way to a Buffalo hospital."

The crowd stood in applause during the announcement.

Zednik's injury was eerily reminiscent of an injury sustained by Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk about 19 years ago at Buffalo's old 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.

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.

Zednik has 15 goals and 11 assists this season.

It was the second serious injury caused by a skate over this past weekend.

On Saturday, NHL linesman Pat Dapuzzo needed dozens of stitches to close a cut on his face after he was hit by the skate of Philadelphia Flyers forward Steve Downie in a game against the New York Rangers.

Dapuzzo, scheduled to retire at the end of the season, didn't return after the second-period injury.


PENS FLEURY CLOSER TO RETURNING

One of the two Pittsburgh Penguins out with a high ankle sprain is closer to returning.

No, it's not Sidney Crosby, but No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury took a big step toward getting back in the lineup Sunday when he was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL to begin a conditioning assignment.

Fleury, who tied for third in the NHL with 40 victories last season, was expected to be out six to eight weeks after injuring his ankle in a 3-2 win in Calgary on Dec. 6, but his recovery has taken longer than expected.

Penguins coach Michel Therrien said Fleury, who had a 9-8-1 record before getting hurt, needs some game action in the minors to get back into playing shape.

Wilkes-Barre doesn't play again until Wednesday, then has four games in six days.

Pittsburgh is 19-7-3 since Fleury was hurt, with Ty Conklin going 14-3-3 — including Sunday's 4-3 win over Philadelphia — as the Penguins' primary starter after beginning the season in the minors.

Fleury's slow recovery isn't encouraging for Crosby, who is trying for an early- to mid-March return from the high ankle sprain he suffered in a loss to Tampa Bay on Jan. 18.

Pittsburgh is 6-2-2 since then, with centre Evgeni Malkin recording eight goals and 21 points over that span. That includes three goals and 10 points during the Penguins' current three-game winning streak.