VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) – Peter Forsberg skated Friday for the first time since having surgery on his right ankle, and the Philadelphia Flyers forward might return to practice early next week. Forsberg, who had an infected bursa sac removed from his ankle on Sept. 12, felt some discomfort during the 10-minute skating session.

“I’m going to skate a little harder each day and we’ll see about Monday,” Forsberg said. “I’m happy to be back. I missed 11 days of training camp.”

The Flyers training staff added extra padding to Forsberg’s skate to reduce the amount of friction around the injury.

“I just had the stitches out this morning, so it was hurting a little bit,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to skate that hard, just get out there. It’s good to be back on the ice.”

The NHL’s most valuable player in 2003 aims to play in at least one preseason game before the regular season begins on Oct. 5.

Burk to write letters protesting hockey ads

NEW YORK – Martha Burk is taking aim at the NHL’s newest television advertisement.

Burk, who led an unsuccessful effort to allow female members at Augusta National three years ago, called the ad “gratuitous” because it shows a scantily clad woman dressing a hockey player before he heads onto the ice. Burk plans to send letters of protest to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. NBC is scheduled to run the ad next week.

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