Court Awards NHL Old-Timers Millions

Eddie Shack said it was like winning the Stanley Cup. Bernie Geoffrion screamed with joy. Maurice Richard wanted to know when the money was coming.

The NHL must hand over millions of dollars in pension funds to hundreds of former players, Ontario’s highest court ruled Thursday.

The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court judgment that said the NHL wrongly used a pension-fund surplus in the mid-1980s to add to pensions for active players.

Former Toronto Maple Leaf Carl Brewer said the ruling should mean about $45 million in Canadian funds and will be distributed to about 1,000 former players. The Canadian dollar is worth about 74 cents.

Football

John Shaw, the Rams’ executive vice president, said the team will entertain trade talks for Jim Everett, adding that the quarterback “definitely has market value.”

The Rams extended an offer sheet for $649,000 to restricted free agent defensive end Robert Young, securing the team a first-round draft pick as compensation if another team signs him.

The Rams’ offer to Young was nearly $500,000 more than what he made last season.

The Rams also extended offer sheets to their six other restricted free agents--cornerbacks Robert Bailey and Dexter Davis, fullback David Lang, linebacker Roman Phifer, defensive tackle David Rocker and offensive lineman Jeff Pahukoa.

In an effort to pare their payroll, the Indianapolis Colts waived their “franchise player,” linebacker Duane Bickett, and Reggie Langhorne, who led the AFC in receptions last season.

The NFL finance committee voted unanimously to approve James B. Orthwein’s sale of the New England Patriots to Robert Kraft.

A $10-million lawsuit against Miami by Rutgers quarterback Bryan Fortay, who claims that the Hurricanes broke a promise to make him their starter, should be heard in a Florida courthouse, according to a federal judge’s ruling.

Tennis

A back injury knocked Ivan Lendl out of the U.S. Indoor tournament in Philadelphia on Thursday, one set into his second-round match against Jonathan Stark. Jim Grabb, coming back from a shoulder injury, upset fourth-seeded Todd Martin, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to the quarterfinals. . . . Boris Becker beat Alexander Volkov, 7-5, 7-5, and Michael Stich breezed past Andrei Cherkasov, 6-2, 6-1, to set up a quarterfinal match in the Eurocard Open at Stuttgart, Germany. . . . Top-seeded Martina Navratilova defeated Laura Golarsa, 6-0, 6-2, in the second round of the Paris Women’s Open.

Basketball

Surgeons have inserted two screws in Portland Trail Blazer center Chris Dudley’s broken left ankle.

Northwestern Coach Ricky Byrdsong said stress caused him to ask for a leave of absence, and he expects to return to the team when he and the university agree he is ready.

Massachusetts Coach John Calipari has accepted an apology from Temple Coach John Chaney for a blowup Sunday in which Chaney said he would kill Calipari.

Miscellany

Val Skinner shot a five-under-par 67 to take the first-round lead of the $500,000 Hawaiian Ladies Open. Play was suspended by darkness with 30 players still on the course.

The UCLA softball team will play a game against former Bruins on Saturday at 1 p.m. to open UCLA’s newly renovated Sunset Field.