The dangers of Hockey

With CAPS back in 1st again after the exciting OT win over the Rangers Sunday, I was so happy for the home team. However this was overshadowed by the news that a previous CAPS player Richard Zednik was severly injured in a game Sunday evening.

Zednik, who now plays for the Florida Panthers, had his throat slashed by a teamate's skate during the game. Zednik realizing the severity of his injury grabbed his throat and rushed to his bench where he pretty much collapsed on a trainer who had grabbed a towel and applied it to his neck.

My thoughts are with him, his family and the team.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/11/sports/HKN-Panthers-Sabres.php

 

I'm a huge Sabres fan and this game was in Buffalo against the Sabres. This reminds me of the whole Clint Malarchuk deal when he was in goal for the Sabres back in the day and the same thing happened to him. They trainers from both teams worked on Zeddy at the rink and were able to get the bleeding to slow down if not stop before transporting him to Buffalo General. The fact that both team trainers worked on him shows that no matter what happens in a sporting event, differences can be put aside in a situation like this. ZEDDY, the hockey world prays for you now.

 

yeah crazy video... so much blood so quickly. Hopefully he'll be back and playing in a week or two! Apparently Malarchuk had 300 stitches and was back playing in a few weeks as well.

Hockey players are hardcore =) It makes me wonder how it changes everyones attitude, especially Zed's to how he plays the game.... will he be the same guy or more reserved (playing the game) because this has happened? It's like lightning, it'll probbaly never happen to him again, but still you know he'll be freaked out for a while.... pretty scary!

 

Here is a rundown of how he is doing now.

[quote name='norske' date='Feb 11 2008, 04:53 PM' post='1307165']
I've been watching a press conference about this on ESPNews. Pretty riveting stuff, basically a minute by minute account of what treatment he received last night. The Buffalo team doctor (who wasn't around for the Malarchuk injury) indicated that what happened to Zednik was worse, because with Malarchuk it was his external jugular vein that had been cut, and with Zednik it was his carotid artery, and that it's the kind of injury that can very rapidly be fatal. He said they rehearse each season what to do in crisis situations, and that this is one of the kind they prepare for. They try to put pressure on the artery and get the guy into an ambulance as soon as possible. In this case, the doctor put pressure on his neck with a rolled up towel, to the extent that Zednik actually asked him to ease up on the pressure on his neck. (The answer was basically "sorry,Charlie.") He received blood and other IVs in the ambulance. At the hospital he was having trouble speaking and breathing due to swelling in his neck, so they intubated him. He wore the tube overnight, but it was removed this morning, and he can speak and breathe without trouble today. Zednik was conscious all the time until the surgical team sedated him. The artery wasn't completely transected, but was hanging on by a thread, which made it easier to repair. He was fortunate that, with all the other stuff in his neck, veins, nerves, larynx, etc., only his carotid was affected.

Today he is awake and alert, and can talk without being hoarse (an issue anytime someone is intubated). He can remember everything that happened last night. There's no indication of any long term damage. He can resume normal activities in about six weeks. The doctors made clear that he had a perfectly healthy artery, which helped quite a bit in their repair of it. Horrible though this was, it sounds as though he was a very lucky guy.
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