Scary NHL moment - player's throat sliced

Publius · 02-11-2008, 12:33 PM

During a game yesterday.

YouTube Video

About 1:25 into the video you see the replay of what happened, just for fair warning it is pretty graphic and disturbing. Richard Zednik was skating into the corner after a puck when teammate Olli Jokinen was being knocked to the ice. Jokinen's skate blade got up and severed Zednik's carotid artery.

He was able to skate to the bench, medical staff got pressure on it and were able to stop the bleeding so that they could get him to a Buffalo area hospital where they successfully surgically repaired the artery. Looks like he'll be okay.

Second time in NHL history a player has had his throat sliced in a game, and both of them have happened in Buffalo. First one was Clint Malarchuk (a goalie) back in the late 80s. Again, pretty graphic video:

YouTube Video

Malarchuk survived as well.

Dangerous sport man, dangerous sport.

JaJae · 02-11-2008, 12:48 PM

It's horrible to see this. I heard Malarchuk only lived because the trainer stuck his fingers into his throat and pinched off the artery.

7960 · 02-11-2008, 01:00 PM

questions on the website where I read the story:

should they be required to wear neck protection?

should the game have been stopped/postponed?

I said no to each.

Publius · 02-11-2008, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

questions on the website where I read the story:

should they be required to wear neck protection?

should the game have been stopped/postponed?

I said no to each.

neck protection would be pointless: this happens so rarely and the positioning has to be just right that I wouldnt be surprised if neck protection simply deflected the skate and made it slice off an ear or something. If it were happening more than once every couple of decades, maybe.

As for stopping/postponing the game, they waited to restart until there was news that Zednik was stabilized. That's enough, imo. They don't stop games in other sports when players have horrible injuries (Buffalo football player that got paralyzed, Michael Irvin's near-paralyzing in Philly back in the 90s).

Ardentfrost · 02-11-2008, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

questions on the website where I read the story:

should they be required to wear neck protection?

should the game have been stopped/postponed?

I said no to each.

Yeah, twice in NHL history... that doesn't warrant requiring any more protection or anything. They can if they want to, I guess

It is pretty fucked up though

Publius · 02-11-2008, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Yeah, twice in NHL history... that doesn't warrant requiring any more protection or anything. They can if they want to, I guess

It is pretty fucked up though

Most goalies now wear a throat-guard (pictured below) because it's easily attachable to their masks and they're at much higher risk (though still a minuscule risk) of this type of injury with players crashing the net. But as far as I know nothing was made mandatory.

7960 · 02-11-2008, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

Most goalies now wear a throat-guard (pictured below) because it's easily attachable to their masks and they're at much higher risk (though still a minuscule risk) of this type of injury with players crashing the net. But as far as I know nothing was made mandatory.

http://i.cnn.net/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/0707/gallery.nhl.goalie.masks/images/dipietro.jpg[/img]

I believe goalies must wear a smaller throat protector and that bigger external mask is optional.

something like one of these

DosEquis · 02-11-2008, 01:38 PM

What is hockey?

7960 · 02-11-2008, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

What is hockey?

Publius · 02-11-2008, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

What is hockey?

kinggovernor · 02-11-2008, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

questions on the website where I read the story:

should they be required to wear neck protection?

should the game have been stopped/postponed?

I said no to each.

I was required to wear a neck guard growing up but I don't think it should be required. They are extremely annoying, and whenever I could get away with it I would. And even if they required it, what happens when the skate catches above or below the neck guard? When I was a kid my glove came off when I was down on the ice and my middle and ring finger were skated over. Accidents happen, skates are sharp.

As a Sabres fan, I thought the game should have ended. Call it a tie, or make up the game some other time. But there are certain times when the "show shouldn't go on" and I think this was one of those times.

RMNIXON · 02-11-2008, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

What is hockey?

Violence with a very low score!

Also lots of guys from former East Block Countries who "Love Amerika!"

kinggovernor · 02-11-2008, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Publius

Most goalies now wear a throat-guard (pictured below) because it's easily attachable to their masks and they're at much higher risk (though still a minuscule risk) of this type of injury with players crashing the net. But as far as I know nothing was made mandatory.

those throat guards are designed to take a puck, they break when a hard shoot hits them

Galactic Gigolo · 02-11-2008, 11:39 PM

Second video

thewise1 · 02-12-2008, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

questions on the website where I read the story:

should they be required to wear neck protection?

should the game have been stopped/postponed?

I said no to each.

Polls like that infuriate me.

Headline: Kids shoot up school
Poll: Should more laws be passed to make it MORE illegal to shoot up a school?
Yes: 234897294723987243 votes
No: 3 votes