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SPORTS Thursday 23 augusT 2018
Flyers' Couturier out 4 weeks with another knee injury

By STEPHEN WHYNO the time, had more than Achilles tendon torn during
AP Hockey Writer enough time to heal after offseason training. Hextall
Philadelphia Flyers center the season." said Couturier would not
Sean Couturier is out four Couturier was playing in require surgery, as was the
weeks after injuring his knee the summer Boot Camp case with his previous knee
for the second time in five Tournament in Quebec injury. Couturier is coming
months. City when the latest injury off a breakout season in
General manager Ron Hex- happened. Hextall called which he was promoted to
tall said Wednesday that it a "freak" accident, which Philadelphia's No. 1 center
Couturier was injured Aug. similarly describes the and set career highs with
10 during an offseason ex- knee-on-knee collision with 31 goals, 45 assists and
hibition game. Hextall ex- Gudas in April. 76 points. He was third on
pects Couturier to be a lim- "He was participating in a the team in scoring and
ited participant in training game, kind of an innocent finished second in voting
camp when the Flyers get play, and things happen," for the Selke Trophy as the
on the ice Sept. 14 and for Hextall said. "It was just kind NHL's best defensive for-
the 25-year-old to be full- of a play in front of the net ward.
go halfway in and play in and it was a rebound and His injury isn't expected to
some preseason games. his leg just went the wrong alter the Flyers' plans to
Dancing around specific way." keep captain Claude Gi-
details, Hextall would only Hextall said the team has roux at left wing after he
say the injury was not in the no plans to forbid players flourished there last sea-
exact same spot as when from participating in sum- son playing on a line with
Couturier damaged the mer leagues or tourna- Couturier. Hextall also isn't
medial collateral ligament ments. concerned about Coutu-
in his right knee during the "We want our guys to train This is an April 22, 2018, file photo showing Philadelphia Fly- rier being more susceptible
ers' Sean Couturier during warm-ups before the start of an NHL
playoffs when he collided hard and train the proper hockey game in Philadelphia. to knee injuries moving for-
with teammate Radko Gu- way, but you see guys on Associated Press ward.
das in practice. other teams getting hurt "This type of injury heals fair-
"It's not a re-injury," Hextall literally training," Hextall day." defenseman Andrej Se- ly quickly and fairly well,"
said on a conference call. said. "They do train hard The Edmonton Oilers re- kera was out indefinitely Hextall said. "I don't antici-
"He was 100 percent at and there is some risk every cently announced that after having surgery on an pate this being an issue."q