Rangers forward Sean Avery hospitalized

From The AP:
"New York Rangers forward Sean Avery has been hospitalized after lacerating his spleen during a playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In a statement Wednesday, the team said the noted agitator was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center after New York’s 5-3 loss Tuesday night and was admitted following a CT scan.

Avery, whose spleen was not removed and isn’t expected to need surgery, likely will be hospitalized for a few days, team spokesman John Rosasco said.

Michael Fagan, spokesman for St. Vincent’s Medical Center, said Avery is in “stable” condition.

Rosasco said it’s unclear when Avery was injured, but the forward complained during the game of pain that got worse. Shortly after the game, Avery went in a car from Madison Square Garden to the hospital with team physician Dr. Andrew Feldman.

“He walked into the hospital,” Rosasco said. “He was never in a life-threatening situation.”


Avery’s mother, Marlene, told the Toronto Sun that Avery’s spleen had not ruptured, but he had suffered internal bleeding.

The spleen is an organ about the size of a fist on the left side of the body, behind the stomach. It helps the body fight infection and filters the blood. A person can live without a spleen, although they lose some of their ability to fight infections.

The 28-year-old Avery will be out for the remainder of the season, the Rangers said, but is expected to make a full recovery.

New York trails Pittsburgh 3-0 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series and can be eliminated as early as Thursday night in Game 4 at the Garden. The Rangers went 33-14-10 with Avery in the lineup this season and 9-13-3 when he was sidelined with injuries.

Avery was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings in February 2007 and sparked the team’s playoff run in which the Rangers went 17-6-6 in games he played following his arrival."