Homer sore, but healing

FLYERS general manager Paul Holmgren says he is "sore" but is otherwise in good spirits following a scary bicycle accident on Labor Day in Avalon, N.J., that still has him hospitalized in Camden's Cooper University Hospital.

Sources indicated yesterday that doctors originally were concerned about possible internal bleeding when a spot showed up on images of Holmgren's chest after his spill.

Holmgren, 55, lost his balance on his bike and fell when traveling at a high rate of speed, according to an accident report released by the Avalon Police Department.

"It appears that he might have hit a rut or something as he was biking in Avalon," Flyers president Peter Luukko said in a statement. "I know Paul and he's pretty fast on that bike, so he probably went over pretty hard.

"He has some broken ribs, [a] broken shoulder, and stitches on his leg and arm."

The police report also indicated lacerations on Holmgren's head, though it also mentioned he was wearing his helmet. The accident occurred at 11:28 a.m. on Dune Drive at 58th Street. Holmgren was originally transported to Cape Regional Medical Center before being quickly transferred 75 miles away to Cooper, South Jersey's only Level 1 trauma facility.

Flyers players and personnel visited Holmgren at the hospital yesterday. It is unclear how long Holmgren, second on the Flyers' all-time list in penalty minutes with 1,600, will remain in Cooper.

Michael Nylander, who turns 39 next month, arrived at the Skate Zone yesterday a full 11 days before the Flyers are set to open training camp. Nylander, who has racked up 220 career points playing alongside Jaromir Jagr, is hoping to earn a spot on the Flyers' roster . . . Other veterans, including Matt Carle, Jody Shelley, Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros, joined in on informal on-ice workouts yesterday in preparation for camp.