The past three weeks have been a very emotional time for myself and my family. I owe a great deal of thanks to a number of people. First and foremost my wife Joann who has been a pillar of strength for me and kept me focused on the best possible outcome at all times. Thank you to my teammates, coaches and training staff, your care and concern has meant a great deal to me. The Aquilini family, Mike Gillis and Laurence Gilman have made my recovery a priority; I have received the best possible medical care throughout this entire process. It is truly a blessing to be part of an organization with such quality, caring people and I can't thank them enough.

The NHL is a tight-knit community. I would like to thank all the players, coaches and GM's around the league, some I've never even had the chance to meet, who extended their regards and best wishes for a speedy recovery. My most heartfelt and sincere thank you to all of the incredible fans in Vancouver and around the league for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers. Your messages were a daily reminder of what a privilege it is to play for you.

I will forever be grateful to the incredible group of surgeons both in Vancouver and New York who performed two successful surgeries, to restore the vision in my eye. Although there is a lot of recovery and healing to take place, I am very optimistic for a good outcome. Thank you to my agent and good friend Paul Krepelka for being with me through surgery and recovery in New York. Your friendship over the years has been invaluable.

My family and I are very grateful for the patience, concern and privacy we've been shown by the media and thank you for your continued support.