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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sabres center Daniel Briere has been diagnosed with a sports hernia and will have surgery in Montreal early next week.

Briere is expected to be out until April. He had an ultrasound scan in Toronto on Friday that confirmed the sports hernia. He was examined on Thursday by Montreal Canadiens team physician Dr. David Mulder, a specialist in abdominal injuries.

Mulder will perform the surgery.

"It's a big hit," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "He's a game-breaker and we're going to miss him."

Briere originally saw Mulder earlier in the month. At the time, Mulder prescribed rest to give the injury a chance to heal by itself.

Briere missed eight games before returning to play in three contests, scoring the winner in Buffalo's 4-3 victory over Dallas on Dec. 14.

The pain in his abdomen never subsided, and he missed the past seven games. Briere also received an anti-inflammatory injection last week that he had hoped would help alleviate some of the discomfort.


Ruff said he doesn't plan on shuffling his lineup in the wake of Briere's news.

"We've been in a mode without Danny for a long time, so we don't really have to change anything," he said.

Briere is the second Buffalo player to sustain a sports hernia this season. Winger J.P. Dumont had surgery over three weeks ago to repair his sports hernia, and is out until after the Olympic break in mid-February.

Briere has 14 goals and 23 points in 24 games this season, and was the team's leading scorer when he was sidelined the first time.

Before his injury, Briere played in 117 consecutive games, and had missed just four contests in three NHL seasons.