Zednik back home in South Florida

Feb 16, 2008 - 5:34 PM SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Six days after undergoing emergency surgery, Florida Panthers left wing Richard Zednik is back home in South Florida to continue his recovery, the team announced Saturday.

On Sunday, Zednik underwent surgery at Buffalo General Hospital after getting cut in the neck by the skate blade of teammate Olli Jokinen during Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

The 32-year-old Zednik, who lost five pints of blood in the accident, was released from the hospital on Friday.

"It is great to return home to South Florida," Zednik said in a statement released by the Panthers. "My heart-felt thanks goes out to the entire staff at Buffalo General Hospital."

Zednik expressed gratitude for the "overwhelming support" he received during his stay in the hospital.

"Words cannot express the sincere appreciation that I have for the outpouring of support that my family and I have received during this difficult time," he said. "I would like to thank my teammates, our fans, as well as hockey fans from around the world for their kind thoughts and words."

Zednik had his carotid artery nearly severed in the accident, but doctors are optimistic that Zednik will make a full recovery and possibly resume his career as early as next season.

Sonya Moor, Zednik's attending surgeon, has said that the player may be able to resume normal activity in six to eight weeks and could return to the NHL as early as next season.

The play brought back uncomfortable memories of when then-Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk had his jugular sliced in a 1989 game against the St. Louis Blues.

Zednik has 15 goals, 11 assists and 43 penalty minutes in 54 games this season.

Zednik has collected 183 goals and 346 points in 675 career games with Washington, Montreal, the New York Islanders and Panthers. He also represented his native Slovakia in the 2006 Winter Olympics, scoring one goal in six contests.

The Panthers have split two games without Zednik, including Friday's 4-2 victory over the Washington Capitals.