A hip injury that has kept Tri-City Americans goalie Eric Comrie sidelined the last week, requires surgery. Comrie, in his first year as a starter, will miss the remainder of the season.

"It sucks right now," Comrie said Friday afternoon. "It is better to do it (surgery) while it is minor. The doctors say I will be more flexible, have better range of motion and be pain free."

Comrie will have surgery Feb. 5 in Vail, Colo., then return home to California for rehab. He should be back on the ice in 3-4 months.

"This is a devastating blow to our team," Americans general manager Bob Tory said. "But we will get through this. We have to look after the athlete first and the team second. We have to do the right thing by him."

With Comrie out, the starting goaltending duties fall to Luke Lee-Knight, who is 5-2-0-0 this season, including wins in his last three starts.

"Eric is such a great friend of mine, this was sad to hear," Lee-Knight said. "We just need to keep going. I've worked hard this season and I think I'm ready."

For more on this story, see Saturday's Tri-City Herald.