Philadelphia Flyers captain Mike Richards will have surgery this week to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He also needs surgery on his left shoulder and faces 10 to 12 weeks of rehabilitation.

Richards will have surgery on the right shoulder tomorrow, then have the left one repaired once he regains motion on his right side.

Richards said his shoulders have been bothering him since training camp. He couldn't pinpoint a game or a date when they started to hurt. Even with two hurt shoulders, Richards had 30 goals and 80 points this season and helped the Flyers reach the playoffs. He used anti-inflammatory medication to keep the pain down.

Richards had a goal and four assists in the Flyers' first-round series loss to the Penguins.

The NHL has loaned an unknown amount of money to Phoenix for payroll and rent payments. The Arizona Republic reported yesterday that if the team fails to pay its debt, the league can take it over, according to financial records filed with Maricopa County Recorder's Office. The day after the team agreed to loan terms Feb. 24 with the NHL, it paid Glendale nearly $351,000 in overdue arena rent payments. The loan terms give the NHL more control over the future of the struggling Coyotes, including the possible relocation.

Carolina coach Paul Maurice couldn't sleep. His Hurricanes had staged a rally for the ages a few hours earlier, scoring two goals in the last 80 seconds to turn a potential 3-2 loss into a 4-3 series-clinching victory against the host New Jersey Devils. The coach's mind wouldn't stop racing. "Every five minutes or so ... it's like getting hit with a bus -- but a good one," the Carolina coach said yesterday, with a smile. "You realize just what happened."