Ference checks in

Andrew Ference spent a few minutes on the phone and provided an update on his condition.

Andrew Ference won't be dropping the gloves until January. (Justine Hunt/Globe Staff)

"Feels like I've got a couple screws pinned into the bone, as good as that might normally feel," said Ference. "Pretty achy."

Yesterday at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. George Theodore led a 90-minute procedure in which he inserted two screws into Ference's fractured right tibia to hold it in place. Ference said he had the option of not undergoing surgery and going with a hard cast instead. But Ference said the risks outweighed the benefits, so he elected for the surgery.

Ference will return to Mass. General Friday for a follow-up appointment. He hopes he can get rid of the hard cast soon so he can work on the mobility in his ankle while the tibia heals. He will stay with the team and resume his off-ice workouts soon.

"Brutal," Ference said of being out and watching his teammates on TV. "Did enough of that last year."