St. Louis Blues defenceman Jay Bouwmeester released a statement on Tuesday, thanking those who helped him after he collapsed on the Blues' bench during a game against the Anaheim Ducks one week ago.

"I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11," Bouwmeester said. "Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.

"On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone's support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future."

The Blues announced on Friday that Bouwmeester had a successful Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator procedure to restore the heart's normal rhythm following the incident.

Bouwmeester collapsed on the Blues' bench in the first period of last Tuesday night's matchup with the Ducks. General manager Doug Armstrong told reporters Wednesday at a news conference that medical personnel used a defibrillator to revive him before he was taken to hospital. The game was postponed shortly after the incident.

The 36-year-old Bouwmeester was skating in his 57th game this season, the 1,241st of his NHL career. He skated 1:20 in his last shift before collapsing and had logged 5:34 of ice time in the game.

The Blues signed the veteran defenceman to a $3.25 million, one-year deal for this season.