The infamous moment that Malarchuk is perhaps most known for occurred during a game on March 22, 1989, between the visiting St. Louis Blues and Malarchuk's Buffalo Sabres. When Steve Tuttle of the Blues and Uwe Krupp of the Sabres became entangled while chasing the puck and crashed into Malarchuk's goal, Tuttle's skate caught Malarchuk on the neck, severing his internal carotid artery.[1]
With pools of blood collecting on the ice, Malarchuk left the ice on his own feet with the assistance of his team's athletic trainer, Jim Pizzutelli.[2] Many spectators were physically sickened by the sight.[3] Local television cameras covering the game cut away from the sight of Malarchuk bleeding after realizing what had happened.
Malarchuk, meanwhile, believed he was going to die. "All I wanted to do was get off the ice", said Malarchuk. "My mother was watching the game on TV, and I didn't want her to see me die."[4] Aware that his mother had been watching the game on TV, he had an equipment manager call and tell her he loved her. Then he asked for a priest.[5]
Malarchuk's life was saved by the team's trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, a former Army medic who had served in Vietnam. He reached into Malarchuk's neck and pinched off the bleeding, not letting go until doctors arrived to begin suturing the wound. Still, Malarchuk came within minutes of becoming only the second fatality to result from an on-ice injury in NHL history (the first was Bill Masterton). It was estimated that if the skate had hit 1/8 inch (3 mm) higher on Malarchuk's jugular, he would have been dead within two minutes. In the dressing room and on his way to the hospital, doctors spent 90 minutes and used over 300 stitches to close the wound.[5][6] It was also said that had the incident occurred at the other end of the ice, Malarchuk never would have made it and would have died (the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium had the locker room exits at one end of the ice instead of the normal location behind the benches, and he was at that end).[1]
Malarchuk returned to practice four days later, having spent only one night in the hospital. About a week after that, he was back in goal against the Quebec Nordiques. "Doctors told me to take the rest of the year off, but there was no way", Malarchuk said. "The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be. I play for keeps." Malarchuk came back in time for the playoffs, but the Sabres lost to the Boston Bruins 4-1 in the first round.
Malarchuk's performance declined over the next few years, to the point that he left the NHL. After this, he struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (as he had since a young age), as well as nightmares and alcoholism,[7] but he eventually returned to hockey, in the International Hockey League. After retiring as a player, Malarchuk continued his hockey career as a coach.
On February 10, 2008, coincidentally again in Buffalo, Florida Panthers player Richard Zednik suffered an injury similar to Malarchuk after Olli Jokinen's skate blade cut the side of Zednik's neck, injuring his carotid artery and barely missing his jugular vein. Upon viewing the footage of Zednik's injury, Malarchuk was taken aback, saying that he didn't think his memory of his own incident would come back after 19 years. Malarchuk also stated he would like to speak with Zednik once the time was right.[8]
With pools of blood collecting on the ice, Malarchuk left the ice on his own feet with the assistance of his team's athletic trainer, Jim Pizzutelli.[2] Many spectators were physically sickened by the sight.[3] Local television cameras covering the game cut away from the sight of Malarchuk bleeding after realizing what had happened.
Malarchuk, meanwhile, believed he was going to die. "All I wanted to do was get off the ice", said Malarchuk. "My mother was watching the game on TV, and I didn't want her to see me die."[4] Aware that his mother had been watching the game on TV, he had an equipment manager call and tell her he loved her. Then he asked for a priest.[5]
Malarchuk's life was saved by the team's trainer, Jim Pizzutelli, a former Army medic who had served in Vietnam. He reached into Malarchuk's neck and pinched off the bleeding, not letting go until doctors arrived to begin suturing the wound. Still, Malarchuk came within minutes of becoming only the second fatality to result from an on-ice injury in NHL history (the first was Bill Masterton). It was estimated that if the skate had hit 1/8 inch (3 mm) higher on Malarchuk's jugular, he would have been dead within two minutes. In the dressing room and on his way to the hospital, doctors spent 90 minutes and used over 300 stitches to close the wound.[5][6] It was also said that had the incident occurred at the other end of the ice, Malarchuk never would have made it and would have died (the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium had the locker room exits at one end of the ice instead of the normal location behind the benches, and he was at that end).[1]
Malarchuk returned to practice four days later, having spent only one night in the hospital. About a week after that, he was back in goal against the Quebec Nordiques. "Doctors told me to take the rest of the year off, but there was no way", Malarchuk said. "The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be. I play for keeps." Malarchuk came back in time for the playoffs, but the Sabres lost to the Boston Bruins 4-1 in the first round.
Malarchuk's performance declined over the next few years, to the point that he left the NHL. After this, he struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (as he had since a young age), as well as nightmares and alcoholism,[7] but he eventually returned to hockey, in the International Hockey League. After retiring as a player, Malarchuk continued his hockey career as a coach.
On February 10, 2008, coincidentally again in Buffalo, Florida Panthers player Richard Zednik suffered an injury similar to Malarchuk after Olli Jokinen's skate blade cut the side of Zednik's neck, injuring his carotid artery and barely missing his jugular vein. Upon viewing the footage of Zednik's injury, Malarchuk was taken aback, saying that he didn't think his memory of his own incident would come back after 19 years. Malarchuk also stated he would like to speak with Zednik once the time was right.[8]
