CALGARY, Alberta [bar] Mike Keenan is making another stop in the NHL.
He returned as coach of the Calgary Flames on Thursday - his eighth head coaching job in the league. Keenan agreed to a three-year deal and replaces Jim Playfair, who will remain with the team as an assistant after leading the Flames to the playoffs in his one season as head coach.
'Together, they will do remarkable things for this team,' Flames general manager Darryl Sutter said at a news conference.
IN OTHER NHL NEWS
Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres coach, and Darcy Regier, general manager, both re-signed with the team for below market rate on Thursday.
Antero Niittymaki, a restricted free agent goaltender, signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.
Scott Howson was hired as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the only NHL team never to make the playoffs, on Thursday.
basketball
howard goes to t'wolves in trade
MINNEAPOLIS [bar] In the first of what could be several moves to shake up their roster, the Minnesota Timberwolves shipped disgruntled point guard Mike James and swingman Justin Reed to the Houston Rockets for Juwan Howard. And the 34-year-old veteran can't wait to help Kevin Garnett.
Howard grew up in Chicago, where Garnett played his final year of high school before jumping straight to the pros in 1995. The two worked out together in the offseason and became friends.
IN OTHER BASKETBALL NEWS
Tom Young, a Washington Wizards assistant and former Old Dominion coach, retired Thursday after four seasons with the NBA team and a long college coaching career.
steroids investigation
balco leaker's plea deal rejected
SAN FRANCISCO [bar] A federal judge took the unusual step Thursday of rejecting a plea deal for an attorney who admitted leaking the grand jury testimony of elite athletes to two newspaper reporters.
Troy Ellerman's lawyer argued in court papers for a 15-month prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to allowing two San Francisco Chronicle reporters to view transcripts of grand jury testimony from Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and other athletes embroiled in the government's steroids investigation.
baseball
FROEMMING TO CALL ALL-STAR GAME
NEW YORK [bar] Bruce Froemming was picked Thursday as the crew chief and home plate umpire for the All-Star game.
The 68-year-old Froemming is set to retire at the end of this season.
IN OTHER BASEBALL NEWS
Vance Wilson, Tigers catcher, had season-ending elbow surgery Wednesday and could be sidelined well into next season.
Eddie Murray, the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting coach, was fired Thursday, a day after the team completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets in which it got 31 hits and scored 18 runs.
football
culpepper injures hand in car crash
MIAMI [bar] Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper slightly bruised his nonthrowing hand in a two-car accident.
'I am fine,' Culpepper said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday.
Culpepper said the vintage Chevrolet car he was driving was rear-ended by another motorist late Wednesday night on a South Florida highway. He said the top of his left hand was bruised and he got X-rays as a precaution.
former nfl player pleads not guilty
HOUSTON [bar] Former NFL defensive lineman Sean Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to bank fraud charges alleging he and four others ran a scheme to pocket portions of more than $42 million in mortgage loans.
IN OTHER FOOTBALL NEWS
Donovin Darius, a veteran safety, has been released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA's Division III football championship game, will remain in Salem, Va., at least through 2009.
Adam 'Pacman' Jones' lawyer urged authorities Thursday to file criminal charges or stop trying to link the Tennessee Titans cornerback to a strip club melee and triple shooting.
in other news
David Bransdon of Australia and David Higgins of Ireland each shot 6-under-par 65 Thursday and shared the first-round lead at the Saint-Omer Open.
Kirk Earlywine, an assistant at North Carolina-Wilmington, has accepted the basketball coaching position at Eastern Washington.
Andy Roddick benefited from the replay system at Queen's Club on Thursday, then held on to beat Alex Bogdanovic of Britain 4-6, 7-6 , 6-4 in the third round of the Wimbledon warm-up tournament.
Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States reached her first semifinal of the year by beating Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay 7-6 , 6-4 at the Barcelona KIA Open on Thursday.
Kevin O'Sullivan has been hired as Florida's baseball coach.
CAPTION(S):
Howard Culpepper
