The Flyers are going to need to continue winning without their captain on the ice for the next month or so.
Defenseman Chris Pronger is set to have loose bodies removed from his left knee on Tuesday, the team announced Monday.
“Obviously Chris has played a long time,” said general manager Paul Holmgren. “This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him that's been nagging. He’s been playing through it up until this recent bout with his virus. As I said in my statement earlier, we kind of believed that through continuing the rehabilitation that he’s been doing on that, that he does on a daily basis anyway, and some medicine, that it would start to feel better. But Chris saw the doctor yesterday and had another MRI, and we just decided that this was the time to go ahead and get this taken care of. Some of the loose bodies in there are becoming a little bit of an issue, and we felt it was better to get it taken care of now.”
The surgery will be performed Dr. Peter DeLuca, the team said.
Pronger already missed more than two weeks this season with an eye injury and was out of the Flyers lineup the last few games with what the team called a virus. Overall on the season he has played just 13 games posting 1 goal and 11 assists.
The 37-year-old captain is most likely going to be put on long-term injured reserve “at some point today or tomorrow,” Holmgren said.
It looks like the Flyers are hoping to have Pronger back on the ice in time for the Winter Classic at Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2.
Sports
In partnership with NBC Sports Philadelphia
In other injury news, fellow defenseman Andreas Lilja (ankle) was also placed on LTIR. Forward Jaromir Jagr (groin) could play when the Flyers get back on the ice Friday while forward James van Riemsdyk (upper body) is looking like a long-shot to be back by the weekend, Holmgren said.
Fan, follow and download: Get the latest from NBCPhiladelphia.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, our mobile site and NBC Philadelphia. Sign up for our breaking news newsletter. And, get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text PHIBREAKING to 639710 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)
