Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger will undergo back surgery

VOORHEES, N.J. - Flyers defenceman Chris Pronger, who missed the majority of the post-season, will undergo surgery to remove a herniated disc from his spinal cord on Thursday.

Pronger, 36, will undergo a procedure called a discectomy, which will be performed by orthopedic specialist Frank Cammisa at The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Pronger, who helped lead the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, was limited to 50 regular-season games this year, scoring just four goals. He also played in just three playoff games, and was a minus-3.

On Wednesday, forwards Mike Richards (left wrist) and Blair Betts (left pinkie), and defenceman Andrej Meszaros (right wrist) underwent successful surgeries, and goaltender Michael Leighton (hip) was also slated for afternoon surgery.