Flyers' Mike Richards Needs Surgery On Both Shoulders

Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards, who was just nominated as a finalist for the Selke award for the NHL, will need offseason surgery on a torn labrum in his right shoulder, according to GM Paul Holmgren.

Richards also needs surgery to repair his left shoulder. He will get the surgery on his left shoulder approxamatly two weeks after the right shoulder is finished. Total recovery is 10-12 weeks.

"I am not exactly sure when it happened to my left shoulder. One day it was a little bit sore and it just kept on getting more sore," Richards said today. I kind of checked it out early in the year. My right shoulder was kind of a similar situation. It really wasn't a certain game that I noticed it. I noticed both very early in the season just after training camp."

GM Paul Holmgren said Richards suffered the injury early in the season, underwent cortisone treatments to manage the pain and continued to play. He will need 8 to 12 weeks of rehab, Holmgren said.

"It’s been going on for a while," Holmgren said this morning. "We managed it during the course of the year but we knew at some point he was probably going to have surgery.

A long summer lies ahead for the captain, but, at least he is getting this done now and not right before training camp. Getting the surgery now means Richards should be ready to play come September.

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"I'm having my right one done on Friday. Once I get my motion back and get a little bit of strength back I will have the left one done so I will just be able to do some things. I can't get them both done at the same time because then I wouldn't be able to do anything."

The guy played 25 minutes a game with this injury, let's question his leadership now, shall we? Gimme a break. Whoever bashes this guy about leadership, go into the locker room and talk to him, then tell me he isn't a leader.

More details hopefully coming later.

quotes: Flyers