Panthers' Zednik to address media

Feb 21, 2008 - 4:12 PM SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Florida Panthers left wing Richard Zednik will address the media on Thursday for the first time since suffering an arterial laceration in Buffalo on February 10.

Zednik, 32, who spent six days at Buffalo General Hospital, will conduct a 1 p.m. EST news conference at BankAtlantic Center.

He underwent emergency surgery to repair a severed carotid artery after getting cut by the skate blade of teammate Olli Jokinen in the third period of the Panthers' 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Zednik returned to his South Florida home after being released from the hospital last Friday. The Panthers say he has received 22,000 get-well notes on the team's web site.

While Zednik had his carotid artery nearly severed in the accident and lost five pints of blood in the accidents, doctors except him to make a full recovery. Zednik's attending surgeon, Dr. Sonya Noor, has said that he may be able to resume normal activity in six to eight weeks and could return to the NHL as early as next season.

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 gone 1-2-1 without Zednik, losing their last two games to Carolina and Pittsburgh.