BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik

underwent surgery to close a deep gash on the right side of his

neck and was in stable condition Sunday night after he was cut by a

teammate's skate during a game.

"The surgery was successful and he's resting comfortably in the

hospital," Panthers spokesman Brian Goldman said.

Blood gushed from Zednik's neck after he was hurt midway through

the third period of Buffalo's 5-3 victory, creating a frightening

moment that delayed the game for about 15 minutes. There was also a

brief discussion about postponing the game altogether.

Zednik was behind the play and skating into the right corner of

the Sabres' zone, when teammate Olli Jokinen was upended by Sabres

forward Clarke MacArthur. Jokinen fell head-first to the ice, and

his right leg flew up and struck Zednik directly on the side of the

neck.

Clutching his neck, Zednik raced to the Florida bench, leaving a

long trail of blood. When he arrived, he nearly fell into the arms

of a team trainer, who quickly applied a towel to the cut. Zednik

was then helped off the ice by the trainer and teammate

Jassen Cullimore, and escorted to the Panthers' dressing room.

"We shouldn't have finished the game," Jokinen said. "I saw

the replay, that it was my skate that hit him in the throat. I

think we were all in shock. I've never seen anything like that.

There are bigger things than [finishing the game]. It was

terrifying.

"I didn't think anyone on our team was thinking hockey out

there after an injury like that. If it was my call, I would have

gone to the hospital with him."

Panthers spokesman Justin Copertino said Zednik was transported

by ambulance to Buffalo General Hospital. Copertino said the team

was making arrangements to have Zednik's wife, Jessica, fly from

South Florida to Buffalo by a charter flight Sunday night.

The team was scheduled to return to Miami, but assistant general

manager Randy Sexton and assistant trainer Dave Zenobi planned to

stay behind with Zednik, Copertino said.

Buffalo defenseman Jaroslav Spacek skates past a trail of blood left when Florida's Richard Zednik hurried off the ice Sunday in Buffalo, N.Y. AP Photo/Don Heupel

Zednik's injury left players and coaches on both benches

stunned, and a silent hush fell over the crowd at HSBC Arena.

NHL vice president Colin Campbell consulted with Sabres general

manager Darcy Regier and referee Bill McCreary in a tunnel after

Zednik was loaded into an ambulance. Campbell, who was not

available for comment, attended the game in part because his son,

Gregory, plays for the Panthers.

In a statement, the NHL said that Campbell talked to

commissioner Gary Bettman and decided to continue the game after

knowing that Zednik was stable, that trainers had stopped the

bleeding, and that the teams were willing to go on.

The league said: "The thoughts and prayers of the NHL family

are with Richard Zednik, his loved ones, his teammates and the

Florida Panthers organization."

"I can fully understand if they wanted to cancel the whole

game," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "It was pretty solemn. There

wasn't a lot being said [on the bench]. There was just more concern

for Richard than anything else.

"When you see something like that, it isn't about playing

anymore. But I said, 'We're going to finish the game and it's going

to be what it's going to be.'"

As crews scraped the blood from the ice and the surface was

cleaned by Zambonis during the extended delay, the public address

announcer said: "Richard Zednik is in stable condition and on his

way to a Buffalo hospital."

The crowd stood in applause during the announcement.

Several Florida players were shaken after seeing the gruesome injury.

"It's something you never want to see," Panthers center Stephen Weiss told The Miami Herald. "It's the worst thing I've ever seen in hockey. The worst went through my mind ... Just his face [when he was] coming off [the ice], was just, you know, something you don't want to see. I don't know how to explain it, but it was a scary look. He looked very scared."

Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun described the situation off the ice.

"I walked in and saw him on the stretcher," Vokoun told The Herald. "I was very concerned when he came off. He was obviously very scared. He was conscious, I guess, that's what the trainer said. His eyes were closed, but he was moving and moaning."



Zednik's injury was eerily reminiscent of an injury sustained by

Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk about 19 years ago at Buffalo's

Memorial Auditorium. On March 22, 1989, Malarchuk severed his

jugular vein when St. Louis Blues forward Steve Tuttle was upended

while skating toward the crease, slicing Malarchuk with a skate.



"I was back here watching, and I knew what it was right away," Sabres longtime equipment manager Rip Simonick told The Buffalo News. "Just like that night."

Malarchuk required over 300 stitches but spent only one night in

the hospital, returning to practice after four days. On April 2, he

played the final five minutes in the season finale, less than two

weeks after his injury.

Panthers defenseman Steve Montador recalled seeing Zednik in a

state of shock as he got to the bench.

"He looked pale, he was obviously standing and to a degree,

coherent. But he didn't look as focused as you or I right now. He

was staring at nothing," Montador said. "That's a pretty brave

guy to realize what's going on: Grab your neck and get off the

ice."

Zednik has 15 goals and 11 assists this season.

It was the second serious injury caused by a skate this weekend.

On Saturday, NHL linesman Pat Dapuzzo needed dozens of stitches

to close a cut on his face after he was hit by the skate of

Philadelphia Flyers forward Steve Downie in a game against the N

ew York Rangers.

Dapuzzo, scheduled to retire at the end of the season, didn't

return after the second-period injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.