Surgery for Fuhr Again

St. Louis goalie Grant Fuhr will be sidelined at least four weeks after a second operation on his right knee in a year.

The arthroscopic surgery Monday at St. Louis repaired cartilage damage.

“Whether the knee is part of it, or not, Grant’s play has not been as good this year as last year,” Coach Joel Quenneville said. “He’s been uncomfortable with the way he’s been feeling. This has probably been on his mind for some time. He felt it was best now to get it checked out and fixed. Hopefully, this makes it all better, physically and mentally.”

Fuhr, a member of five Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and 1990, announced recently that he will retire after next season.

Fuhr also underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage last Feb. 28 and missed eight games. It’s the same knee that required major reconstructive surgery after Toronto’s Nick Kypreos landed on him in the 1996 playoffs.

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The Nashville Predators signed leading scorer Cliff Ronning to a two-year contract extension worth about $3.6 million.

Ronning, a 12-year NHL veteran with 38 points this season, came to the Predators in a trade with Phoenix in October. He was to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

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Phoenix right wing Jim Cummins was suspended five games by the NHL for elbowing Chicago defenseman Brad Brown on Saturday.