1st rounder almost stabbed to death during NHL lockout

Ales Hemsky was signed by the Montreal Canadiens as a free agent this summer, and it will be his fourth team in the National Hockey League. He will once again have to get used to new teammates, new coach and style of play, and in Montreal, to the crowd of media and passionate fans.

But believe us when we say he has seen worse. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Hemsky headed back to Czech Republic to play for HC Moeller. There, he was victim of an "unprovoked attack by an unknown assailant in which his neck was slashed by a broken glass in a Pardubice night club."

"I'm lucky. I know I'm lucky," Hemsky said back in 2005 to the Edmonton Sun.

His agent Jiri Crha added that "the lacerations were dangerously close to the jugular vein and carotid artery."

"I was very scared when I heard about it," Crha said. "It could have been a very serious injury for Ales. I'm happy things went the right direction, but I was shocked and scared."

Hemsky was able to grow stronger from the scary incident, and has most likely learned a lot from it. The challenges that may come his ways in Montreal are nothing compared to that incident, and we are sure he will be ready to overcome any issues with his new team.