NHL to Investigate Ottawa’s Final Defeat

Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner, said Monday that the league will investigate charges that the Ottawa Senators intentionally lost their last game of the season to get the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Last Tuesday, the Ottawa Citizen quoted former Senator chairman Bruce Firestone as saying the club planned to give four players preferential treatment if they helped lose the game. Firestone, who resigned, denied making the remark.

“There is absolutely no basis for these allegations,” team owner Ron Bryden said. “They are not true. There can be absolutely no dispute that our team tried every night.”

Still, Bettman said the allegations are “sufficiently serious that the matter must be fully investigated.”

“We owe it to our fans, our players and anyone who cares about hockey to deal directly with this issue, and we intend to do so as promptly as possible,” Bettman said. “I have advised the Ottawa Senators of my decision to cooperate.”

Ottawa lost the final game of the 1992-93 season and finished with a record of 10-70-4, giving it the same number of points but one fewer victory than San Jose, which finished 11-71-2.

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The Mighty Ducks will play four exhibitions at Anaheim Arena, beginning with a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins Sept. 18. The Ducks will play host to the Kings on Sept. 22, the New York Islanders on Sept. 29 and the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 3.

Golf

Steve Elkington and Tom Purtzer made a tournament record eight birdies on the last nine holes to earn a share of the lead halfway through the Fred Meyer Challenge at West Linn, Ore.

They were tied at eight-under 63 with the teams of Fred Couples-Davis Love III and Jim Gallagher Jr.-Bruce Lietzke. Five other pairs in the $750,000 best-ball exhibition were at six-under 65, including the team of Arnold Palmer and tournament host Peter Jacobsen.

Pro Basketball

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Chris Mills, who was their No. 1 draft choice and the 22nd player selected in June’s NBA draft. Terms were not disclosed.

Mills averaged 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds for Arizona last season.

Miscellany

Eddie Hill won the top-fuel title at the rain-delayed $955,600 Champion Auto Stores Nationals at Brainerd, Minn. Hill now has a 2,320-point series lead over Kenny Bernstein. Other winners were Chuck Etchells in funny cars and Warren Johnson in pro stocks.

Steve Dennis, a former Auburn coach accused of paying player Eric Ramsey, said that he has been cleared by the NCAA and is free to resume coaching. The NCAA last week put Auburn on two years’ probation for violations under then-coach Pat Dye.

Unbeaten junior-welterweight Kostya Tszyu (10-0) of Russia won a 10-round unanimous decision over former World Boxing Assn. lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble at Newcastle, Australia.

Bobby Potruch scored twice and drove in another run to lead Valencia, Calif., to a 9-0 victory over Chambersburg, Pa., in the Pony League World Series at Washington, Pa. Brian Baron and Nate McAfee also scored two runs apiece for Valencia, which will play host Washington, a 6-3 loser to Joliet, Ill., on Wednesday.

Jurors were selected for a retrial of former Bengal running back Larry Kinnebrew on charges that he raped a Cincinnati woman.

Kimberly McDannold, 16, of Palos Verdes, Tara Ardlan, 17, of San Diego, Megan Johnstone, 16, of Orinda and Tyler White, 17, of Woodside were members of a California team that won the English jumping portion of the U.S. Equestrian Team North American Young Riders championship at Wadsworth, Ill.

Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan were voted co-most valuable players by the Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn.

The $150,000 Los Angeles Open 9-ball championship will be held Aug. 26-28 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.