National Hockey League Betting
Former San Jose Sharks forward Mark Bell has pleaded no contest to drunken driving and hit-and-run charges and will serve six months in a Santa Clara County jail, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Bell, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in June, had faced nearly four years in state prison if convicted of the original charges.
Defenseman Joe DiPenta signed a one-year contract with the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. DiPenta, who had two goals and six assists in 76 games last season, is set to enter his third year with the Ducks. He went scoreless in 16 playoff games. DiPenta, 28, signed with the Ducks as a free agent two years ago, and had two goals and six assists in 72 games during the 2005-06 season.
Former NHL tough guy Basil McRae was hired as a part-time amateur scout on Tuesday by the St. Louis Blues, one of seven franchises for which he played. Blues president John Davidson said McRae, who accumulated 2,457 penalty minutes in 576 games, would have primary responsibilities in the major junior Ontario Hockey League.
The San Jose Sharks re-signed goalie Dimitri Patzold to a one-year contract on Monday. The Sharks extended a qualifying offer in late June to Patzold, who went 10-8-3 with a 3.35 goals-against average for the Sharks’ AHL affiliate in Worcester, Mass., last season. The former fourth-round pick will compete with Thomas Greiss and Taylor Dakers in training camp next month for the backup job behind…
The local group bidding to buy the Nashville Predators announced its remaining five partners Monday. David Freeman, chief executive officer of 36 Venture Capital, is the lead investor who spoke on behalf of the group Aug. 1 when they confirmed their $193 million offer included a $10 million deposit. William “Boots” Del Biaggio, a minority partner in the San Jose Sharks, and Herb Fritch, CEO of…
The Phoenix Coyotes signed goalie Alex Auld to a one-year contract on Monday. Auld, 26, went 7-13-5 with a 3.34 goals-against average last season with Florida. He is 46-44-13 in five NHL seasons with Florida and Vancouver, with a 2.89 GAA and .902 save percentage. Auld played for Canada in the 2006 World Hockey Championship and won a bronze medal with Canada at the 2001 World Junior Championship.
The Phoenix Coyotes sent center Kevyn Adams to the Chicago Blackhawks for right winger Radim Vrbata on Saturday. The 26-year-old Vrbata was the Blackhawks’ second-leading scorer last season and set career highs in points (41) and assists (27). He has 75 goals and 95 assists in seven seasons with Colorado, Carolina and Chicago.
The New York Islanders got bigger and a bit younger on the blue line Friday night when they signed 6-foot-6 defenseman Andy Sutton to a three-year contract. Sutton will absorb a lot of the minutes and responsibilities of 37-year-old Sean Hill, a defensive defenseman who signed with the Minnesota Wild after being suspended during last season’s playoffs for violating the NHL’s drug policy.
