WILMINGTON, Mass. -- The Boston Bruins were dealt an emotional blow Saturday when defenceman Matt Hunwick was rushed by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital for an emergency splenectomy.
"He's comfortable and he's resting in his room," said Bruins physician Dr. Peter Asnis just before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final against the Montreal Canadiens. "His spirits are high and he'll be there for a couple of days."
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Hunwick was never supposed to play in Saturday night's game after suffering the injury in the second period of Game 1. Veteran Shane Hnidy took Hunwick's place on the Boston roster for Saturday's game, and Chiarelli said it is unknown whether the Bruins will call someone up from the minors as of yet.
Hunwick was injured on a check Thursday night, but he didn't complain of any abdominal pain after the game, Asnis said.
Hunwick practised with his teammates Friday, and it was only afterwards that he noticed some "vague abdominal pain" and was taken to hospital for a CAT scan and blood tests, Asnis said.
"He was stable based on his blood work and exam" and was released from hospital Friday but kept under surveillance, Asnis said.
At about 10:45 a.m. ET Saturday morning, Hunwick noticed a sudden increase in pain in his abdomen and he was rushed from the Bruins practice facility in Wilmington, Mass., by ambulance to the hospital. His spleen was removed at around 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon by Dr. David Berger.
"His playing career should not be affected, he should have a 100 per cent full recovery," Asnis said. "The only thing for his health is that he'll get additional immunizations. But there are players in contact sports at the professional level playing without a spleen."
Asnis could not give a timeline for a potential return by Hunwick, but said it is possible he could return to play in these playoffs, depending on his recovery.
Hunwick's role with the Bruins has grown over the course of his first full season. He was a healthy scratch 23 times and missed three more games to illness from Feb 1-5.
The Bruins record in those games was only 13-10-3, while their record with Hunwick in the lineup is 39-8-7, including Thursday night's 4-2 playoff victory over Montreal.
Hunwick made his career playoff debut in that game and had a busy night. He nearly fell victim to an elbow to the head by Habs winger Tom Kostopoulos, then received a face wash to the eye from defenceman Mike Komisarek in a scrum at the final buzzer.
He had been playing on the Bruins top power-play unit toward the end of the season in the place of captain Zdeno Chara. But Chara reclaimed that spot in Game 1 and wound up scoring the winner on a power play point blast midway through the third period.
Bruins head coach Claude Julien said immediately after Hunwick left for the hospital Saturday that his loss will be a blow to the team.
"We're a close-knit team and everybody feels for each other," he said. "There's no doubt our players feel for him and we'll certainly worry like everybody else until we get some results. But he's in good hands."
The Bruins were called Saturday morning to their practice facility for a team meeting. Reporters were granted access to the Boston dressing room when they were suddenly asked to leave due to a medical emergency. Moments later, two Wilmington police cruisers and two firetrucks were seen leaving the arena.
Hunwick, 23, had six goals and 21 assists in 53 games this season, averaging just under 17 minutes of ice time per game. Boston selected Hunwick in the seventh round, 224th overall, in the 2004 NHL entry draft.