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Philadelphia Flyers sign veteran center Vincent Lecavalier

Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier has signed a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
(Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)
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The Philadelphia Flyers signed veteran center Vincent Lecavalier to a multi-year contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning let its 33-year-old captain go last week, and the Flyers pounced Tuesday night, signing him to a reported five-year deal worth $22.5 million.

Tampa Bay cut ties with Lecavalier to clear space under a smaller salary cap. The Philadelphia Flyers took advantage of both of their compliance buyouts to release forward Danny Briere and goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Lecavalier didn’t mesh with Tampa Bay’s plans, or at least his contract didn’t with seven years and $45 million remaining on it. The four-time All-Star, drafted No. 1 overall by the Lightning in 1998, helped the franchise win the Stanley Cup in 2004 and scored a franchise-high 383 goals.

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The Kings opted not to make a qualifying offer to defenseman Keaton Ellerby, which means he will become an unrestricted free agent. In addition to Ellerby, defenseman David Kolomatis and winger Stefan Legein were not given qualifying offers.

Qualifying offers did go out, as expected, a handful of Kings: defenseman Alec Martinez, forwards Kyle Clifford, Trevor Lewis and Jordan Nolan, defenseman Jake Muzzin, forward Brian O’Neill, defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk and goalie Martin Jones.

Ellerby was an insurance policy this past season after injuries to Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene decimated the Kings’ blue line. They acquired Ellerby, a former first-round pick (10th overall in 2007) from the Florida Panthers in February for a fifth-round draft choice. He had three assists in 35 games with the Kings but by the end of the playoffs, he was not in the lineup.

Although the Kings did not make him a qualifying offer, it is not out of the question they could re-sign him during the free-agency period.

The Ducks also made qualifying offers to left wing Matt Beleskey, center Kyle Palmieri and defensemen Alex Grant and Mat Clark. They did not make offers to goalie Marco Cousineau, left wing Josh Brittain and defensemen Matt Kennedy and Ryan Parent.

— Lisa Dillman

The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to an eight-yeasr, $58-million contract extension with defenseman Kris Letang.

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The Calgary Flames acquired forward T.J. Galiardi from the San Jose Sharks for a fourth-round draft pick in 2015.

Etc.

Boston police have asked authorities in the Connecticut hometown of Aaron Hernandez for their help with a double homicide investigation linked to the former NFL star, police said.

Hernandez is already charged with murder in the shooting death of his friend Odin Lloyd, whose body was found June 17 near Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough, Mass.

The request from Boston police in the July 2012 double homicide was based on evidence developed through the investigation of Lloyd’s slaying, Bristol Police Lt. Kevin Morrell said. He said police were asked to search the same home in Bristol for both investigations, and a vehicle was seized at the address on Friday.

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Two people were killed in the shooting in Boston’s south end on July 15, 2012. Witnesses reported seeing people inside a grey SUV with Rhode Island plates open fire on a vehicle carrying the victims, 29-year-old Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu and 28-year-old Safiro Teixeira Furtado.

Boston police have declined to comment on whether Hernandez is being looked as a possible suspect in that case.

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Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball, will team with former USC All-American April Ross on a run toward the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Walsh Jennings won the last three Olympics with Misty May-Treanor as her partner, but May-Treanor retired.

Ross had been teammates with Jen Kessy, and they plan on playing together at the FIVB World Tour event at Long Beach later this month. Walsh Jennings will be teamed with Whitney Pavlik at the Long Beach event, but will start playing with Ross later this year.

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Jovan Vavic of USC has been chosen national women’s water polo coach of the year by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches. Vavic was also national coach of the year for the men’s season. His USC teams both won national championships and lost just one game — by the women — between them. USC players Flora Bolonyai, Anni Espar and Monica Vavic were first-team selections on the ACWPC All-American team.

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Baylor women’s basketball Coach Kim Mulkey was suspended from her team’s next NCAA tournament game for criticizing the officiating after a loss to Louisville in this year’s tournament. After Louisville upset top-seeded Baylor, 82-81, in March, Mulkey said the game was far too physical and she singled out the officials.

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