Bruins' Patrice Bergeron: Sent back to Boston

Bergeron (upper body) will return to Boston to undergo further evaluation, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports.

This news comes as a complete surprise, as several reports released Saturday afternoon indicated Bergeron would be a game-time decision for the evening's matchup with the Coyotes, but the star center will instead fly home to undergo further evaluation by the Bruins' training staff. A more definite timetable for Bergeron's return should be established in the coming days, but it appears as though he may be facing a long-term absence.