Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Ferguson Jr. and the agent for veteran Mats Sundin both vehemently denied Tuesday a report that the team captain needs to undergo potentially career-threatening hip surgery.

Citing an anonymous source in the medical community, the Toronto Sun reported the 37-year-old Sundin was in immediate need of a procedure similar to the one that former teammate Alexander Mogilny underwent. It was not reported which hip was in need of repair.

Ferguson and J.P. Barry, Sundin's agent, disputed the report.

"I can assure you this is 100 per cent inaccurate," Ferguson told TSN. "He hasn't been examined by a doctor. This is completely false."

Barry questioned the timing of the story, as his client's future with the Maple Leafs has yet to be determined. The team holds an option on Sundin for next season, which would cost the team over $6 million toward its salary cap.

Barry did admit that Sundin was hampered this season, a fact most Maple Leafs observers believed to be the case after watching the captain struggle to score just one goal in the final 20 games of the season.

'Some hip discomfort'
"He has had some hip discomfort this season, along with other medical issues, but they were normal issues and they are minor in nature," said Barry. "Anything that would need to be done is minor and not the level that is being erroneously reported."

Neither Mogilny nor Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mario Lemieux, who had similar hip surgery, fully recovered and both eventually retired.

Sundin led the Maple Leafs with 27 goals and 49 assists for 76 points in 75 games last season, his 12th for Toronto.

The nine-time all-star has totalled 523 goals and 1,243 points in 1,231 games over 16 NHL seasons with the Quebec Nordiques and the Maple Leafs.

Sundin was drafted first overall in 1989 by the Nordiques, who traded him to Toronto — along with Garth Butcher, Todd Warriner and a first-round draft pick — for Wendel Clark, Sylvain Lefebvre, Landon Wilson and a first-rounder on June 28, 1994.