Bergeron out of hospital, full recovery expected

BOSTON -- Boston Bruins president Cam Neely confirmed Friday that center Patrice Bergeron has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Bergeron had gone to the hospital for observation after playing in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, when it was discovered he had a punctured lung. As of Wednesday afternoon, he still was in the hospital.

"He's doing well. He's recovering," Neely said during a press conference on the state of the team at TD Garden. "Obviously with what Patrice went through to play Game 6, and then what happened to him during Game 6, certainly speaks volumes about Patrice as an athlete and as a human being that has a compete level that we love to have wearing our jersey. So he's been a big fabric of our organization for a number of years, and I know he's recovering and doing well and will have a full recovery."

Bergeron was limited to one period and a couple of shifts in the second because of injury in Game 5 last Saturday. It was revealed later he had a broken rib and rib-cartilage damage. He received a shot of a freezing agent in order to play Game 6, and he separated his shoulder during the Blackhawks' 3-2 Cup-clinching win. It later was discovered Bergeron had a small puncture in his lung.

"Bergeron epitomizes a Bruin. He really does," Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs said.

The 27-year-old finished the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs with nine goals and 15 points in 22 games.