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Richard Zedník
Richard Zednik 2009.jpg
Born (1976-01-06) 6 January 1976 (age 49)
Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Washington Capitals
Montreal Canadiens
HKM Zvolen
New York Islanders
Florida Panthers
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
HC '05 Banská Bystrica
AIK
National team Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia
NHL Draft 249th overall, 1994
Washington Capitals
Playing career 1996–2011

Richard Zedník, born on January 6, 1976, is a former professional ice hockey player from Slovakia. He played as a winger for 15 years in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his career, he played for teams like the Washington Capitals, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Florida Panthers. In February 2008, he had a very serious injury during an NHL game when a teammate's skate accidentally cut his neck.

Richard Zedník's Hockey Journey

Richard Zedník started his professional hockey journey after being picked by the Washington Capitals in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He was chosen in the tenth round, as the 249th player overall. Before joining the NHL, he played junior hockey for the Portland Winter Hawks in the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Early Career and First NHL Goal

In his first year with the Winter Hawks during the 1994–95 season, Zedník scored 35 goals. The next year, he scored 44 goals, which was a great achievement. He played his first professional game at the end of the 1995–96 season with the Capitals. After that, he joined their minor league team, the Portland Pirates, for their playoff games.

Zedník officially joined the Capitals' main team in 1996. He scored his very first NHL goal on October 5 against Ed Belfour of the Chicago Blackhawks. He played his first full NHL season in 1997–98, scoring 17 goals in 65 games. He also scored the first goal for the Capitals in their new arena, which is now called Capital One Arena.

Memorable Moments and Team Changes

On October 31, 2000, a radio station in Washington, D.C., had a special event. They offered free tickets and Zedník jerseys to fans who dyed their hair blond, just like Zedník had done. Two hundred fans with blond hair came to the game. That night, Zedník scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game) against the Detroit Red Wings. This was a big deal because the Red Wings had not lost in Washington for ten years!

After playing six seasons with the Capitals, Zedník was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in March 2001. This trade involved several players and draft picks.

In April 2002, during a playoff game in Montreal, Zedník was hit in the face by a player from the Boston Bruins. He suffered a broken cheekbone, a broken nose, and a concussion. Even though the Canadiens lost that game and Zedník couldn't play for the rest of the playoffs, they still won the series.

Zedník played for the Canadiens for three more years. Then, in July 2006, he was traded back to the Washington Capitals. His second time with the Capitals was short, as he was traded again in February 2007 to the New York Islanders.

After the 2006–07 season, Zedník became a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Florida Panthers in July 2007.

Playing in Other Leagues

In April 2009, Zedník was nominated for the Masterton Trophy, an award for perseverance and dedication in hockey. Around the same time, it was announced that he would play for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for the 2009–10 season. His contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ended in the summer of 2010.

After that, Zedník played a couple of games for HC 05 Banská Bystrica in the Slovak Extraliga. In January 2011, he signed a contract with AIK IF in Sweden, where he played until the end of the 2010–11 season.

Richard Zedník's Neck Injury

On February 10, 2008, during a game between the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres, Richard Zedník suffered a very serious and life-threatening injury. His teammate, Olli Jokinen, lost his balance and fell in front of Zedník. As Zedník skated past, Jokinen's skate blade accidentally cut Zedník's neck.

Zedník reacted quickly and skated to his team's bench. The team trainer, Dave Zenobi, immediately helped him. Paramedics and the team doctor, Les Bisson, quickly controlled the bleeding. Doctors said that Zedník was in shock but was alert and responsive. He lost about five pints of blood. He was taken to the hospital, and his condition was reported as stable.

The game was stopped for more than 20 minutes to clean the ice. When it was announced that Zedník was stable and on his way to the hospital, the Buffalo fans gave him a long standing ovation.

Doctors performed emergency surgery to repair the artery in his neck. They said his life was not in danger because the artery was not completely cut. Zedník stayed in the hospital for a few days and was released on February 16. He missed the rest of that season while recovering but returned to play in the 2008–09 season.

This injury reminded many people of a similar injury in 1989 to Clint Malarchuk, who was a goalie for the Buffalo Sabres. Both incidents led to discussions about player safety in the NHL, including the use of neck guards. Today, team doctors at NHL games are trained in emergency care and must be seated behind the home team bench.

Richard Zedník's Personal Life

Richard Zedník married French-Canadian actress Jessica Welch in 2005. They later divorced in 2009 and have one daughter together.

Career Statistics

Richard Zedník played many games throughout his career. Here's a summary of his time in the NHL and international games:

Regular Season and Playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1994–95 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 65 35 51 86 89 9 5 5 10 20
1995–96 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 61 44 37 81 154 7 8 4 12 23
1995–96 Portland Pirates AHL 1 1 1 2 0 21 4 5 9 26
1995–96 Washington Capitals NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1996–97 Portland Pirates AHL 56 15 20 35 70 5 1 0 1 6
1996–97 Washington Capitals NHL 11 2 1 3 4 — — — — —
1997–98 Washington Capitals NHL 65 17 9 26 28 17 7 3 10 16
1998–99 Washington Capitals NHL 49 9 8 17 50 — — — — —
1999–00 Washington Capitals NHL 69 19 16 35 54 5 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Washington Capitals NHL 62 16 19 35 61 — — — — —
2000–01 Montreal Canadiens NHL 12 3 6 9 10 — — — — —
2001–02 Montreal Canadiens NHL 82 22 22 44 59 4 4 4 8 6
2002–03 Montreal Canadiens NHL 80 31 19 50 79 — — — — —
2003–04 Montreal Canadiens NHL 81 26 24 50 63 11 3 3 6 2
2004–05 HKM Zvolen SVK 36 15 19 34 56 17 9 10 19 12
2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 67 16 14 30 48 6 2 0 2 4
2006–07 Washington Capitals NHL 32 6 12 18 16 — — — — —
2006–07 New York Islanders NHL 10 1 2 3 2 5 0 0 0 8
2007–08 Florida Panthers NHL 54 15 11 26 43 — — — — —
2008–09 Florida Panthers NHL 70 17 16 33 46 — — — — —
2009–10 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL 37 6 12 18 56 17 3 5 8 22
2010–11 HC '05 Banská Bystrica SVK 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2010–11 AIK SEL 18 2 3 5 12 3 1 1 2 0
NHL totals 745 200 179 379 563 48 16 10 26 41

International Play

Richard Zedník also proudly represented Slovakia in many international hockey tournaments:

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM
1996 Slovakia WJC 6 5 2 7 10
1996 Slovakia WCH 3 0 0 0 0
2001 Slovakia WC 7 2 2 4 14
2003 Slovakia WC 9 5 3 8 6
2004 Slovakia WCH 3 0 0 0 0
2005 Slovakia WC 7 1 1 2 10
2006 Slovakia OG 6 1 0 1 12
2010 Slovakia OG 7 2 4 6 6
2011 Slovakia WC 6 1 1 2 2
Senior totals 48 12 11 23 50

He played for Slovakia in:

Awards and Recognition

  • WHL West Second All-Star Team – 1996

See also

  • List of Slovaks in the NHL
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