Propp Has Surgery; Out Nine Weeks

By Al Morganti, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: December 09, 1986

Flyers left winger Brian Propp, who injured his left knee Sunday against Edmonton, will be lost to the team for at least the next nine weeks.

The team's leading scorer underwent exploratory arthroscopic surgery last night at Graduate Hospital, and doctors discovered more serious damage to the left knee than they had been expecting to find.

A Flyers spokesman said the damage was repaired by the surgery, which was performed by team physician John Gregg.

Earlier in the day, Propp was walking without a severe limp, and team officials were optimistic that he would have to miss no more than a week.

But the exploratory procedure uncovered ligament damage and what doctors called a "fracture into osteochondritis dessicans," and after consulting with the player, they operated.

Propp, who has 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points, will have to wear a brace on the knee for at least six weeks. After it is removed, rehabilitation should take another three weeks, the spokesman said.

Another left winger - probably Ross Fitzpatrick - will be recalled from the team's Hershey affiliate in the American Hockey League, the spokesman said.

Propp, 27, now in his eighth season with the Flyers, has been an all-star four times (1979-80, '81-82, '83-84 and '85-86) and has scored 40 or more goals in four of the last five seasons. He also has been a durable performer. In his previous seven seasons, he never had played in fewer than 72 games.

In the meantime, Tim Kerr, the Flyers' leading goal scorer (20 goals), is due back in the lineup tonight against Vancouver at the Spectrum, after missing the last three games because of a pulled left hamstring.

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