When Rich Peverley had a "blip" on his EKG (ECG) prior to the start of Dallas Stars training camp at the Fort Worth Convention Center the hope was that it was nothing to be concerned about, and that the team was just checking it out to be diligent.

Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately for Mr. Peverley) that diligence revealed an irregular heartbeat that necessitated a medical procedure yesterday. From Mark Stepneski:

Rich Peverley expected to miss 3 weeks after procedure to correct irregular heartbeat. — Mark Stepneski (@StarsInsideEdge) September 13, 2013

First and foremost we wish him well in his recovery and hope that there are no long term effects that will damage his quality of life during or after his hockey career.

Secondarily, this throws quite a wrench into the works for Lindy Ruff and Jim Nill. If the three week estimate proves accurate it would place him back in practice around the opening weekend duo of games against the Panthers and Capitals.

Jim Nill spoke to Dallas media about the procedure this morning.

"It turns out he had an `a-fib' condition," Nill said. "He'll be out three weeks and should be available close to the start of the season. He might miss one or two games."

Word is that he will be allowed to skate, but not participate in contact, so he'll be able to keep his conditioning up. Mark Stepneski reports that the procedure likely involved shocking the heart to get it back into rhythm.

Injuries in the preseason are nothing new, but to have one unexpectedly before it even began is an unfortunate development for a team looking for a fresh start.

Though he'll certainly slot into a feature role whenever he does return, this creates opportunity in the mean time for others to impress. If nothing else it lessens that second line center competition to just Shawn Horcoff and Cody Eakin.

Read more about "artirial fibrillation" at Wikipedia. It's always right about everything. Or here at Mayo Clinic, complete with info about "electrical cardioversion".