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Flyers to honor Forsberg; Mumps concerns grow

In connection with last month's Hockey Hall of Fame induction, former Flyer Peter Forsberg will be honored before Tuesday's game against Tampa Bay at the Wells Fargo Center.

"He was an all-around great player. Great vision," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "I ended up coaching him for a bit. Really good team guy. Great to coach. Great to be around."

Forsberg, 41, played most of his 15 NHL years in Colorado, and played parts of two seasons with the Flyers. Despite a foot injury, he had 115 points in 100 games _ the second-highest points-per-game production (1.15) in franchise history.

"I think he brought everybody to him when he had the puck," Vinny Lecavalier said. "Everybody was kind of mesmerized by him, and he would just find the open guy."

"I played against him a few times," defenseman Nick Grossmann said. "You had to keep your head up 'cause he was either going to dangle you or run you over."

"You couldn't knock him off the puck," Berube said.

Forsberg was drafted sixth overall by the Flyers in 1991, and traded to Quebec in the Eric Lindros mega-deal in 1992.

Mumps update. No Flyers have the mumps, but the outbreak of the disease has some players feeling uneasy.

"It's scary," Lecavalier said. "Every time there's one guy sick, you're kind of wondering" if you're next.

Most of the Flyers were vaccinated after their 4-1 win over New Jersey on Thursday.

Fourteen NHL players from five teams _ Anaheim, Minnesota, New Jersey, the Rangers, and Pittsburgh _ have come down with mumps.

''I've never seen anything like it; we're just hoping it doesn't come around here," Berube said.

However, concerns have grown since some players, including Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, have come down with the mumps despite being vaccinated against the virus. Crosby was immunized before traveling to Russia for the Winter Olympics in February.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall would not permit trainer Jim McCrossin to talk to the media about the mumps outbreak.

The incubation period for mumps is 14 to 18 days from exposure to the onset of symptoms, doctors say.  The Flyers have played the Rangers, Anaheim and New Jersey within the last 17 days.

Berube tried to make light of the mumps outbreak.

"The only disease I've seen around a team is bad hands," Berube cracked. "And I led the group."

Breakaways. Lecavalier's lower-body injury has healed and he went through practice at top speed, but he is expected to be a healthy scratch for the seventh straight game Tuesday against his former team, Tampa....Lindros averaged 1.36 points per game for the Flyers, tops in franchise history.