Richard Zednik

All NHL season long, fans and critics talk about the possible nominees for the big awards - the Hart trophy, the Vezina, the Norris, the list goes on - and there’s nothing wrong with that. But little discussion revolves around one award that is probably the most inspiring hardware the NHL actually hands out. On NHL.com, it says that the Bill Masterton Memorial trophy is given to the player, “who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” It was named after Minnesota North Stars’ William Masterton who passed away on Jan. 15, 1968, “after an injury sustained during a hockey ... Read Full Story

Jason Pominville had a goal and two assists during a 2:07 span of the third period, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. Tim Connolly scored the go-ahead goal to cap the surge and added an assist for a Buffalo team that overcame a 3-1 deficit and won for only the second time in eight games (2-5-1). Clarke MacArthur, Craig Rivet and Maxim Afinogenov, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Sabres, who needed a win to avoid falling further out of playoff contention. With 78 points and nine games left, Buffalo remains in 10th place ... Read Full Story

Patrick Lalime made 30 saves, Jaroslav Spacek had a goal and assist and the Buffalo Sabres beat Florida 3-1 Thursday night to move within two points of the eighth-place Panthers in the Eastern Conference. Lalime, making his eighth straight start, improved to 3-4-1 since taking over for injured starter Ryan Miller. Daniel Paille and Thomas Vanek also scored for 10th-place Buffalo. The Sabres won their third straight at home and snapped a two-game overall losing streak. Michal Repik scored for Florida, and Tomas Vokoun made 20 saves. The Panthers have lost two straight after winning three of four. The Sabres helped preserve the much-needed ... Read Full Story

Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik is leaving the NHL to join the Russian league. Russian hockey club Lokomotiv of the KHL announced Thursday it has signed Zednik to a two-year contract. Also Thursday, Zednik was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given in honor of the late Minnesota North Stars player. The award honors "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." The winner will be announced June 18 in Las Vegas. Zednik had 17 goals in 70 games a season after his carotid artery was sliced by a teammate's skate blade during a Feb. ... Read Full Story

Richard Zednik and Bryan McCabe scored power-play goals late in the second period and lifted the Florida Panthers to a 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss also scored for Florida, which won its third straight game. Michael Frolik added an empty-net goal with 1:32 left. Chris Kelly and Chris Campoli both netted goals for Ottawa. Craig Anderson, making his third straight start for Florida in place of Tomas Vokoun, stopped 30 shots. In his first career start against the Panthers, Ottawa rookie Brian Elliott made 17 saves before he was replaced by Alex Auld in the ... Read Full Story