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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Donald Brashear of the
Vancouver Canucks testified Tuesday that he doesn't recall being
hit in the head by Marty McSorley's stick or being taken off the
ice on a stretcher. "The only thing I remember is jumping on the
ice without much time left," Brashear said of the Feb. 21 game.
"Marty was put on the ice also." He also doesn't remember what
happened earlier in the Vancouver-Boston game, when he and
McSorley fought on the ice. "I saw it on TV and saw it on the
news," Brashear said during the second day of the trial. There
was no eye contact in the courtroom between McSorley and Brashear
in their first face-to-face contact since the game. McSorley, who
has played in the NHL for 17 seasons, could get up to 1 1/2 years
in prison if convicted of assault for bashing Brashear over the
head with his stick.
Bruins sign Thornton and Samsonov
BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Bruins have signed center Joe Thornton
and left wing Sergei Samsonov to three-year contracts, ending the
holdouts of two of their three leading scorers from last year.
Thornton was the Bruins' leading scorer last season with 23 goals
and 37 assists. Samsonov, a former NHL Rookie of the Year, was
third on the team with 19 goals and 26 assists. Anson Carter, the
team's second leading scorer a year ago, is still unsigned. The
Bruins' holdout problems have attracted attention because of the
hard line taken by general manager Harry Sinden. Feeling that
players missing camp was hurting them and the team, Sinden vowed
this year to decrease his offer for every day the player is out.
He insisted he wasn't fining players, but said a player's value
decreased for having missed camp.
Draper signs 4-year, $4.7 million contract with Detroit
DETROIT (AP) - Center Kris Draper ended his holdout, signing a
four-year, $4.7 million contract to stay with the Detroit Red
Wings. "We are all very pleased to have Kris back with the club,"
general manger Ken Holland said Tuesday. "Kris has always been a
very competitive player and we welcome him back to our lineup."
Said Draper, "I'm happy with the way the deal worked out." The
deal pays him $975,000 the first year, $1.15 million the second,
$1.25 million the third and $1.35 million the fourth. "It's nice
to be back," Draper told television station WKBD after the Red
Wings' preseason game with the Dallas Stars. Draper saw some
action in the game, which ended in a 2-2 overtime tie. "I felt a
little rusty. It's like my first day of training camp and I had
an exhibition game." Draper was a restricted free agent and was
the team's last unsigned player.
Flyers acquire McAllister from Maple Leafs
VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) - The Flyers moved to bolster their defense
on Tuesday by acquiring Chris McAllister from the Toronto Maple
Leafs for prospect Regan Kelly, an eighth-round draft pick this
year. Philadelphia acquired McAllister because they were
concerned about the play of second-year defenseman Mark Eaton and
Chris Therien is recovering from a back injury. McAllister, 25,
played in 36 games for the Maple Leafs last season with no goals
and three assists. "Two years ago, he really looked on the
upswing," Clarke said. "We still see a fairly young, tough
defenseman who needs some work and some growing as a player."
McAllister, 6-foot-7 and 235 pounds, is likely to be used as a
first backup once Therien is healthy. Clarke was impressed with
McAllister's play in 1998 when Toronto defeated the Flyers in the
playoffs. McAllister has played in 120 NHL regular-season games
for Toronto.
Top overall pick in draft assigned to minors
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) - New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro,
the first overall pick in the 2000 NHL entry draft, was assigned
Tuesday to Chicago of the International Hockey League. The
19-year-old DiPietro was the first goalie selected with the first
overall pick in NHL draft history. As a freshman at Boston
University last season, he was 18-5-5 with a 2.45 goals-against
average and .913 save percentage, and received Hockey East rookie
of the year honors. Veterans John Vanbiesbrouck and Wade Flaherty
will share goaltending duties to start the season for the
Islanders. "DiPietro was a decision simply based on
circumstances," Isles general manager Mike Milbury said. "This is
not an evaluation of his performance, because we just didn't have
enough time to do that. ... When Rick got hurt (groin), it just
made it impossible for us to get a good look at him."
Groin injury could sideline Leafs' Joseph for opener
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Glenn Healy knows he won't be
starting for long. Healy has been Toronto's top goalie for most
of the preseason, but he figures he'll be back on the bench
watching regular starter Curtis Joseph when the Maple Leafs open
their season Oct. 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. Joseph stayed
home for a three-game trip to western Canada to get treatment for
a groin strain. The Leafs are confident he'll be healthy soon,
but he might not be ready to play against the rival Canadiens. "I
don't think Cujo's job is in jeopardy," Healy told the Toronto
Sun. "I think he made the right call not coming here, flying
around and playing teams with half a big league roster. Better to
rest and strengthen it." With Joseph injured and Jimmy Waite
sidelined by dizzy spells, Healy and rookie Jamie Hodson have
split most of the preseason goaltending duties thus far.
Capitals' Kolzig has knee surgery
WASHINGTON (AP) - Capitals goaltender Olaf Kolzig will be
sidelined for about three weeks after arthroscopic surgery
Tuesday on his right knee. "This was minor surgery to remove a
bone spur and scar tissue," Washington general manager George
McPhee said. The Capitals open the regular season against Los
Angeles at home on Oct. 6. Craig Billington is Kolzig's backup
and, unless the team makes a another move, likely would become
the starter. Kolzig won the Vezina Trophy last season and made
his second All-Star Game appearance. He set several team records,
including wins (41) and saves (1,794) as the Capitals rallied to
overtake Florida and win the Southeast Division.
Flames trade Nazarov for Leopold
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - The Calgary Flames acquired defenseman
Jordan Leopold from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Tuesday for
forward Andrei Nazarov and a second-round choice in the 2001 NHL
draft. Leopold had six goals and 18 assists in 39 games last
season during his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota.
Leopold scored a goal and had two assists for the United States
at the 2000 World Junior Championships. Nazarov, a former
first-round draft pick of San Jose, was traded to Tampa Bay
before he was traded to the Flames. He had 10 goals and 22
assists in 76 games last season.
Canucks re-sign defenseman Sopel
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Vancouver Canucks
re-signed defenseman Brent Sopel on Tuesday. Terms of the deal
were not disclosed. Sopel, 23, had two goals and four assists in
18 games with Vancouver last season. In 50 games with the
Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League last year, Sopel
had six goals and 25 assists. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound defenseman
was Vancouver's sixth choice, 144th overall, in the 1995 NHL
entry draft. In 23 career NHL games, Sopel has three goals, four
assists and 16 penalty minutes.
Wild's O'Donnell suspended
NEW YORK (AP) - Minnesota Wild defenseman Sean O'Donnell was
suspended for six preseason games and fined $1,000 by the NHL on
Tuesday for his actions during an exhibition game against the
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. O'Donnell, who has already served two
games of the suspension, delivered a two-handed slash to Anaheim
center Antii Aalto and punched him in the back of the head in a
Sept. 20 game. O'Donnell was assessed a major penalty for
fighting, game misconduct and match penalty for attempt to
injure. O'Donnell will miss Minnesota's four remaining preseason
games.
Sabres' Patrick has separated shoulder
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Sabres defenseman James Patrick will be out
10-to-14 days with a slightly separated right shoulder and could
miss Buffalo's season opener against Chicago Oct. 5. Patrick was
hurt when he was cross-checked from behind by Kevyn Adams in an
exhibition game with Columbus on Saturday.
Oilers made money thanks to Thrashers
EDMONTON (AP) - The Edmonton Oilers showed a small profit in the
last fiscal year, thanks almost exclusively to the Atlanta
Thrashers. Some $3 million in expansion money from the NHL
allowed the Oilers to make about $268,000 for the fiscal year.
Twenty-seven teams shared in the $80 million Atlanta paid to join
the league with the NHL also taking operating fees off the top.
But the head of the Edmonton Investors Group cautioned that the
good times are not likely to continue beyond this year. "NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman has stated no further league expansion
is in the plan," Cal Nichols, chairman of the Edmonton Investors
Group, told the Edmonton Journal. Nichols presented the report at
Monday's shareholders meeting. "This means we will be required to
find new ways to replace these funds as quickly as possible." The
NHL said earlier that 20 of last year's 28 teams were expected to
lose money.
Yashin set to determine the fate of himself and Senators
(AP) - The question will likely be asked every time Alexei Yashin
takes an opening faceoff, skates up the ice or lets loose a slap
shot toward an opposing goalie.
Does Alexei Yashin play for himself or the Ottawa Senators?
A vilified Yashin returns to Ottawa this season after holding out
all of last year when the Senators refused to renegotiate his
contract. The 1999 Hart Trophy finalist was in the final year of
a four-year, $11.6 million deal in which he was due to receive
$3.6 million.The high-scoring center was coming off a 44-goal, 94-point season. Was he underpaid in today's market of NHL high finance? Yes. Was it worthy of a holdout with ludicrous contract demands?
No. Ottawa, rightfully so, had grown tired of Yashin's "cry wolf"
tactics. It was the third consecutive season he threatened to
hold out and his agent, Mark Gandler, is not considered among the
more cooperative in league circles. And while Yashin did lead the Senators to a Northeast Division title in the 1998-99 season, he vanished in the first round of the playoffs against Buffalo without scoring a single point.
Scoreboard Preseason
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Nashville predators over Atlanta Thrashers 4-1
NY Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets tie 4-4
Florida Panthers over Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2
Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars tie 2-2
Montreal Canadiens over Calgary Flames 4-2
Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks tie 4-4
LA KINGS over Phoenix Coyotes 2-0
Schedules
Pittsburgh at Columbus, TBA
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
Washington vs. Carolina at Raleigh E&S Arena, 7 p.m.
Buffalo at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Colorado, 9 p.m.
Montreal at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Ottawa at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
Minnesota at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.
(TIMES LISTED ARE EASTERN)
Transactions
National Hockey League©
NHL-Suspended Minnesota D Sean O'Donnell six preseason games and
fined him $1,000 for actions in a game on Sept. 20.
BOSTON BRUINS-Signed C Joe Thornton and LW Sergei Samsonov to
three-year contracts.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS-Assigned G Jeff Maund, D Dmitri Tolkunov, D
Arne Ramholt, F Ty Jones, F Steve Dubinsky, F Nathan Perrott, F
Kyle Calder and F Aaron Downey to Norfolk of the AHL. Returned F
Steve Larouche to Chicago of the IHL. Released F Patrick Lebeau.
DETROIT RED WINGS-Signed C Kris Draper to a four-year contract.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS-Assigned G Rick DiPietro to Chicago of the
IHL, F Raffi Torres to Brampton of the OHL and F Jeff Toms to
Springfield of the AHL.
NEW YORK RANGERS-Recalled F Jason Dawe from Hartford of the AHL
and D David Wilkie from Houston of the IHL.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS-Traded D Regan Kelly to Toronto for D Chris
McAllister.
American Hockey League©
LOWELL LOCH MONSTERS-Reassigned LW Sandy Cohen to Trenton of the
ECHL.
International Hockey League©
KANSAS CITY BLADES-Renewed their working agreement with Missouri
of the UHL.
Central Hockey League©
MACON WHOPEE-Signed D Jamie Pegg and D Ryan Kummu.
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