
Florida Panthers winger Richard Zednik is in stable condition today after teammate Olli Jokinen, upended on the ice, inadvertently sliced open Zednik's neck during the third period of last night's 5-3 loss in Buffalo against the Sabres. The injury is so gruesome and bloody that it calls to mind Clint Malarchuk's similar injury on the Buffalo ice almost 20 years ago, and so horrific that I've watched the video of it about eight times this morning.
Jokinen fell headfirst to the ice, and his right leg flew up and struck Zednik directly on the side of the neck. Clutching his neck, Zednik somehow had the capacity to race the three-quarters length of the ice to the Panthers bench, where he nearly fell into the arms of trainer Dave Zenobi, who immediately placed a towel on the player's throat [see thumbnailed picture]…
Play resumed after a 15-minute delay, during which time crews scraped the blood off the ice and the surface was cleaned by Zambonis.
Videos of the accident keep getting taken down by the NHL fun police, but of course the NHL is too incompetent to have a decent video player on its own site, so I'll let you peruse a YouTube search of "Zednik neck" at your leisure. I have to warn you: you probably shouldn't watch the video if you're a pussy. The amount of blood that hits the ice before Zednik even finishes falling is kind of amazing. It's like Tarantino directed a Mighty Ducks movie.


fell headfirst to the ice… right leg flew up and struck directly on the side of the neck…. The amount of blood… is kind of amazing
this is eerily similar to how i lost my virginity
Scary, scary shit. Glad to hear he's OK.
Yea Tie- here is wishing him a full and speedy recovery.
I should watch more hockey. There’s never any gratuitous blood in football.
During high school, I played junior hockey and still hold two league records: most time spent in the penalty box; and I was the only guy to ever take off his skate and try to stab somebody.
Well, at least not like this. I vote for small cleat-sized spikes to line a football player’s gear. Nothing that would kill a man, but something to liven up those low-scoring games.
Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood. Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.
holy. shit.
@ Matt…. David Carr plays hockey for the panthers now?!
You hear so much about "going for the jugular" but you so rarely get to enjoy it.
Shit, I forgot my lunch.
This was some scary shit. We all love violence, but when it comes down to it I would rather this didn't happen again.
nhl.com does suck.
tsn has the video up.
[broadband.tsn.ca]
doesn't look to be going anywhere.
@Matt
They never make a big deal about it in the UFC.
going to the pictures on the yahoo link brings up this kinda ironic lil gem.
[sports.yahoo.com]
Olli Jokinen's new nickname is Ichi the Killer
Holy fuck! Glad he's okay.
The only thing that could make a Mighty Ducks movie more annoying is if Tarantino directed it.
All that's missing is a high school cheerleader, a shovel and my boner.
Wow, crazy.
/returns to ignoring the NHL
I was at the game….the last 9 minutes after Zednik was taken to the medical room were a farce. The NHL should have suspended the game or cancelled it altogether. 2 points isn't worth the inhumanity of dropping that puck while a man is in an ambulance on his way to emergency surgery, fighting for his life – and I say that as a Sabres fan. Fuck Gary Bettman.
Better caption for the picture: If Jeffy Keane played hockey
Was Daniel Day-Lewis there to tell Richard Zednik that he drank his milk shake?
I suddenly got the urge for a cherry snowcone.
"It's like Tarantino directed a Mighty Ducks movie."
Sabres goalie Ryan Miller actually said it looked like a Tarantino movie out there. He beat you to it.
So far in my hockey watching career, I've seen Bryan Berard lose an eye to Marian Hossa's skate, and Trent McCleary almost get his face sliced in half; but this was by FAR the most awful thing I have ever witnesses on ice. Just gruesome. All reports say he's going to be ok, so thank god for that…
OJ Simpson > Olli Jokinen
Gordon Bombay would have cut this guy's head off.
I protest that you decided to show Zednik and not his wife, Jessica Welch, since she's way less gruesome :
[www.m-management.sk]