Wed Feb 13 14:53:45 2008

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Zednik and wife thank supporters

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Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik and his wife, Jessica, issued a joint statement Wednesday thanking everyone for their support after his scary injury on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Zednik had his carotid artery severed by a skate blade in the game.

"On behalf of Richard and our entire family, I want to thank the fans, his teammates, the Panthers and Sabres organizations, plus so many others for their prayers and well wishes," Jessica Zednik said. "I especially want to thank the medical staff involved in his care and the Buffalo General Hospital for their tremendous support during this difficult time.

"Richard continues to improve and we are encouraged each day. We thank you for respecting our privacy and would ask everyone to continue to keep Richard in their thoughts over the next few days."

Dr. Sonya Noor, Zednik's attending surgeon, said the player continues to improve and should be discharged over the next 48-72 hours.

On Tuesday, Zednik was upgraded to good condition and moved from the intensive care unit to a private room at the hospital.

He is expected to miss the remainder of the season. The 32-year-old veteran has 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 54 games this season.