updated 3:24 a.m. ET Aug. 22, 2008

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell has completed a work release program following charges from a 2006 driving incident in California.

Bell, 28, pleaded no contest last September to hit-and-run and drunken driving charges. He was sentenced in May to six months in jail. That sentence was commuted to participation in a work program.

The NHL suspended Bell 15 games and placed him in its substance abuse program. He was reinstated last October in time for the 2007-08 season.

During his work release this summer Bell worked on a prison work crew in California's Santa Clara County. He worked 440 hours over 11 weeks.

"I was just like anybody else who made a mistake. I was treated like everybody else," Bell told the Toronto Star. "I was afforded a lot of humility. I think I'm a better person for it."

Bell was with the San Jose Sharks at the time of the crash. He joined the Leafs in a June 2007 trade along with goalie Vesa Toskala.

A civil suit relating to the crash was settled out of court. Bell's speeding vehicle struck a pickup truck at a stop sign, leaving its driver with multiple head, back and leg injuries.

In addition to his legal problems, Bell had a difficult first season with the Leafs. He had four goals and six assists in 35 games before missing 31 games with broken facial bones.

It's not yet clear what role Bell will play with the Maple Leafs, who are in a rebuilding program under new coach Ron Wilson. He knows Wilson, for whom he played with the Sharks before being traded to the Leafs.

Bell is entering the final year of his contract and is scheduled to make $2.5 million.

Bell was a first-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1998. The Sharks acquired him in a three-way deal with the Ottawa Senators. At his best, Bell is a power forward capable of scoring 25-plus goals. The Sharks acquired him with the idea of playing him on their top line with Joe Thornton and Jonathan Cheechoo.

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