ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Wild forward Matt Cooke will miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to address a sports hernia.

The Wild say Cooke had surgery Friday in St. Louis.

It's a tough loss for a team that is trying to scratch its way back into the crowded Western Conference playoff picture. Cooke gives the Wild a physical presence at the forward spot that the team lacks when he is out.

Cooke missed 22 games earlier this season with a hip injury. The team believes the sports hernia may have developed as a result of Cooke playing through pain in his hip.

The Wild have won four straight games and host Colorado on Saturday.