The Philadelphia Flyers will be without the services of forward Daniel Briere for up to a month after he suffered a torn abdominal muscle in Wednesday's shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks.
''Danny has a slight tear in his reptus abdominis, which is a stomach muscle,'' said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. ''He will be out of the lineup approximately 3-4 weeks.''
Holmgren said that the 31-year-old Gatineau, Quebec native is slated to undergo surgery Saturday morning.
''I am surprised by the turn of events that happened today,'' said Briere. ''I hate missing time, but by being aggressive, I will be back soon.''
Signed to an eight-year, $52 million contract prior to last season, Briere currently leads the Flyers in scoring with three goals and four assists in six games.