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Giroux says he's fully recovered from hip, abdominal surgeries

About 31/2 months after he underwent surgeries to repair his right hip and an abdominal tear, Flyers captain Claude Giroux said he is back at full strength and ready for the 2016-17 season.

About 31/2 months after he underwent surgeries to repair his right hip and an abdominal tear, Flyers captain Claude Giroux said he is back at full strength and ready for the 2016-17 season.

"I feel 100 percent," Giroux said Wednesday after a news conference to unveil the Flyers' 50th anniversary jerseys at One Liberty Observation Deck in Center City. "It's been a long road, but I was in good hands with the trainers in Philly, and I also got a lot of help [during rehabilitation] in Ottawa and right now I feel really good."

In May, Giroux and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had the same types of surgeries. Both players struggled late last season.

Giroux finished with a team-high 67 points, but he had just one assist and no goals in the six-game playoff loss to Washington. Normally one of the league's best in the faceoff circle, he lost a majority of his draws in four of the games.

Including the playoffs, Giroux did not score a goal in his last 12 games, and his trademark shiftiness and ability to weave in and out of traffic were missing.

"It's hard to say," Giroux said when asked how much the injuries limited his effectiveness. "But that's in the past and now I feel good. I don't feel like I have a 60-year-old hip anymore, so that's pretty exciting."

Giroux said that he went through a grueling and "heavy" rehab and that he feels almost ready to start the season.

General manager Ron Hextall said that Giroux was bothered by the hip and abdominal problems since "before the midpoint" of last season, and that Gostisbehere's problems developed late in the season. He called the surgeries typical and said hip problems led to the abdominal injuries.

"It's almost like a maintenance surgery for the body," he said at the time.

Giroux (Team Canada) is among the eight Flyers who will take part in the World Cup of Hockey, which will be held Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto. Jake Voracek, Michal Neuvirth, and Radko Gudas will compete for the Czech Republic, Gostisbehere and Sean Couturier will play for Team North America, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Mark Streit will aid Team Europe.

Growing up in Canada, Giroux said, "all we know is hockey, so it's pretty special to be representing the country." He said that Team Canada doesn't want to settle for anything but the title.

By playing in the intense World Cup, club president Paul Holmgren said, the eight Flyers "will be flying pretty high" and it should carry into the regular season.

Flyers veterans who are not at the World Cup will be on the ice for the start of training camp Sept. 23 at the Skate Zone in Voorhees.

Giroux, 28, said it would be easier for the Flyers to get off to a better start this season because they have had a year to adapt to coach Dave Hakstol's system.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull