Wild place RW Gaborik on IR

Jan 4, 2009 - 12:47 AM ST. PAUL, Minnesota (Ticker) -- As expected, the Minnesota Wild on Saturday placed Marian Gaborik on injured reserve as the star right wing prepares to undergo hip surgery on Monday.

The procedure will address a deficiency in Gaborik's hip that has caused him chronic left groin pain.

Minnesota has been told by doctors that the 26-year-old could return to action approximately 10 weeks after the surgery, although there is a chance Gaborik has played his last game with the team.

Gaborik will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and contract talks with Minnesota have broken down.

"Definitely, the goal is to come back and play this year," Gaborik told the Pioneer Press on Friday.

If Gaborik can return in 10 weeks - mid-March - he would be able to play over the final month of the season.

"I'm not happy about this year, but I think (surgery is) the best solution for my health and my body," Gaborik said. "I know it's not best for the team, but when the best doctor in the world says you should have surgery as soon as you can to avoid later problems, I'm going to do it."

"I'm disappointed he won't be here with us for this point of the season," Wild general manager Doug Risebrough said. "But this is the choice that Marian has made."

The franchise's all-time scoring leader with 419 points, Gaborik been limited to just six games this season due to the persistent groin problem.

Couple that with the fact Gaborik missed all of training camp with a quadriceps problem, and one can understand why the Wild apparently have soured on bringing back the franchise's last original member.

Not that the organization did not try.

The Wild made multiple contract extension offers to Gaborik during the offseason, but he turned them down in each instance.

The contract situation has turned some fans against Gaborik, and mention of his name at the Xcel Energy Center has prompted a smattering of boos from the fiercely loyal Minnesota supporters.

In another roster move Saturday, the Wild recalled defenseman John Scott from Houston of the American Hockey League.

Signed out of Michigan Tech as an undrafted free agent in December 2006, the 6-8, 258-pound Scott has yet to make his NHL debut. The 26-year-old native of St. Catharines, Ontario has recorded two goals and 82 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Aeros this season.