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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Philip Larsen was released from a New Jersey hospital and medically cleared to return to Vancouver on Wednesday, one day after he was taken off the ice on a stretcher in the second period of a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

Canucks coach Willie Desjardins said in Tampa he talked to Larsen on Wednesday and that he was in good spirits and had full movement in his extremities.
Desjardins did not rule out Larsen returning to the Canucks at some point during their five-game road trip. Vancouver plays at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; SUN, SNV, NHL.TV) and at the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
Larsen was hit by Devils forward Taylor Hall at 14:27 and was on the ice for several minutes. He will be replaced in the Canucks lineup by defenseman Alex Biega, who has played one NHL game this season.
"At the end of the day, it's an opportunity that presented itself and I have to go out and just play," Biega said. "Good things happen when you just go out and play and not think too much about it."
Larsen, who turned 27 Wednesday, has four assists in 17 games this season.