After consulting with other doctors, the Philadelphia Flyers announced Friday that forward James van Riemsdyk will not need surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip.
"After consultation with various doctors regarding James' hip injury, we have come to the conclusion that surgery is not necessary," Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said. "We will treat James' hip with alternative therapies and non-surgical procedures. It is expected that James will be 100 percent well before training camp begins."
If van Riemsdyk had gone through with the surgery, recovery time was estimated at six weeks.
Van Riemsdyk suffered through an injury-plagued 2011-12 season, and totaled just 11 goals and 24 points in 43 games. He missed time with an abdominal strain, a concussion and a foot injury that limited him to just seven playoff games.
He also has been the subject of trade rumors, and most recently a local TV reporter claimed sources told him that van Riemsdyk was delaying his hip surgery to scuttle a possible deal. The Flyers responded by saying the surgery was being delayed due to an infection in van Riemsdyk's foot. Van Riemsdyk also disputed the rumor.
"Trades are part of the business," van Riemsdyk told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I have way more respect for the game than that. People always say, if Wayne Gretzky can be traded, anyone can be traded. To suggest I'd deliberately try to hold one up is an absolute joke.
"I love my teammates in Philadelphia. Management has treated me extremely well. Honestly, I'm the type of person that, if a team did not want me here, I would not want to be here. I certainly would not hold anything up."
Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK
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