Flyers sign forward from France

The Flyers hope they have struck gold....in France, of all places.

The Flyers signed speedy left winger/center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, a Paris native, to an NHL contract Wednesday.

"He's a versatile player who can kill penalties and he adds depth to our forward group," general manager Ron Hextall said.

The 6-foot, 196-pound Bellemare, 29, scored the shootout winner in a stunning upset of Canada at the 2014 IIHF World Championships, where he had eight points in eight games.

In 52 games last season with Skelleftea of the Swedish Hockey League, Bellemare scored 20 goals and had 35 points and a plus-21 rating. He had 64 goals and 125 points in 238 games with the team over the last five seasons.

In another matter, Flyers center Sean Couturier recently had abdominal surgery and should be fully recovered in five to six weeks, the club announced.

Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.