Richard Zednik Richard ZednÃk (Born January 6, 1976 in Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a Slovak professional hockey player who plays right wing for the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. He was drafted in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, in the tenth round, two-hundred forty-ninth overall, after playing junior hockey for the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League. Zednik is a gifted scorer and playmaker, which can be credited to his strong legs. He is sometimes criticized for being a poor passer who goes into periodic scoring droughts, but he also has the speed and shot necessary to score goals in the NHL, and isn't afraid to use his strength to battle for possession in the corners.
Richard Zednik was traded by the Washington Capitals on March 13, 2001, along with Jan Bulis and a first round draft pick (Alexander Perezhogin), to Montreal in exchange for Trevor Linden, Dainius Zubrus, and a second round draft pick (later traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning).
On April 26, 2002, during a playoff game in Montreal against the Boston Bruins, Zednik was elbowed in the face by Bruin defender Kyle McLaren. Zednik, who had scored both goals for Montreal in the 5-2 loss, suffered a fractured cheekbone, broken nose, and a concussion. The injuries forced Zednik to miss the remainder of the playoffs, and Montreal would win the next two games to beat the Bruins in 6 before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round.
