Rangers Sign Free Agent Fleury to Multiyear Contract

Six-time all-star Theo Fleury, expected to help fill a void created by Wayne Gretzky’s retirement, signed Thursday with the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free agent.

Fleury, 31, played all or part of 11 NHL seasons for the Calgary Flames before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in March.

According to Newsday, the deal is for $21 million over three years with a club option for a fourth year at $7 million.

Fleury had 40 goals and 53 assists in 75 regular-season games. He has 374 goals and 480 assists in his regular-season career.

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The Kings were named winner of the 1999 Pro Team Community Award, which is presented annually by the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame to the professional sports franchise that demonstrates the most humanitarian community program.

The Kings Care Foundation donated more than $1.6 million in cash and services to the Los Angeles community, the Kings said.

Olympics

Salt Lake Organizing Committee executives detailed $113 million in budget cuts, a savings board members were told would shrink the gap between revenue and spending from $300 million to $185 million.

The biggest shares of the $113 million in cuts are $30 million out of staffing and $38 million out of the inflation cushion.

The board also approved ethics, open meetings and open records policies promised last winter during the height of the scandal over how Salt Lake bent the rules to win the 2002 Winter Games. And the board voted to expand itself by three members, to 53.

The chief executive for the Sydney Olympics has ruled out United States and Japanese school band members from the opening ceremony of next year’s Summer Games but says a compromise deal is close to being finalized.

The band leaders will meet with SOCOG again today to complete a deal that is likely to see the youngsters perform at other Olympic venues and at Sydney landmarks such as the Opera House.

Basketball

NBA players ended their union meeting in the Bahamas opposed to an age restriction and skeptical that proposed rules changes will lead to an increase in scoring.

Players said the new five-second rule and the defensive hands-off rule could merely end up causing more fouls, more free throws and less free-flowing action.

“Some of us are old enough to remember 120-point games,” said 40-year-old Danny Schayes of the Orlando Magic, who entered the league in 1981. “From what we’ve seen of these new rules, they’re barking up the wrong tree.”

A three-member arbitration panel in Baltimore awarded $2.61 million to Sacramento King forward Chris Webber, ruling that Fila U.S.A. wrongfully terminated his endorsement contract after a series of legal difficulties.

The sporting goods company severed Webber’s shoe deal in August after the NBA star was stopped during a Fila promotional trip in Puerto Rico’s international airport with a carry-on bag containing 11 grams of marijuana.

Fila terminated the contract under a good-conduct clause, a decision that Webber’s representatives opposed.

Former NBA coach Bob Hill will be hired as men’s coach at Fordham, a source close to the university told the Associated Press.

Hill, who compiled a 257-212 record in parts of seven seasons with New York, Indiana and San Antonio, would replace Nick Macarchuk.

An assistant coach who was the focus of an NCAA investigation into rules violations at Purdue has taken another position at the school.

Purdue Coach Gene Keady said in a statement that Frank Kendrick, who requested the move until the NCAA investigation is resolved, will become an assistant to the director for operations of the Purdue Memorial Union.

Last week, an NCAA Committee on Infractions found that Kendrick lied to investigators and told a former player to do the same. It put the school on two years’ probation for recruiting, extra benefits and unethical conduct violations.

The school is appealing.

Pro Football

Amid growing concern about Garrison Hearst’s chance of returning from a serious ankle injury, the San Francisco 49ers met with free-agent running backs Terry Allen, Charlie Garner and Harvey Williams, but Bill Walsh, the 49ers’ general manager, said he was also considering controversial tailback Lawrence Phillips.

Hearst, who rushed for a team-record 1,570 yards last season, broke his ankle on the first play of the 49ers’ playoff loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The 49ers had expected him to return for the start of this season, but that now is questionable.

The Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills are among the teams also evaluating Phillips, who gained 1,021 yards for the Barcelona Dragons in the recently completed NFL Europe season.

Tennis

Defending champion Leander Paes of India beat top-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at Newport, R.I.

No top-seeded player has won the tournament since it became an official tour event in 1977.

Nicklas Kulti continued his surprising run in the Swedish Open, defeating countryman Thomas Johansson, 6-3, 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals at Bastad.

Kulti will play German Puentes, who beat Julian Alonso, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Galo Blanco beat Jeff Tarango, 6-2, 7-5.

Still showing the effects of a five-week layoff, third-seeded Marcelo Rios of Chile was upset in the second round of the Swiss Open, losing to Younes El Aynaoui of Morocco, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), at Gstaad.

Felix Mantilla, the 1997 champion, beat Hicham Arazi, 6-2, 6-0 in 50 minutes.

Soccer

Midfielder Cobi Jones of the Galaxy was selected to start for the Western Conference in the Major League Soccer All-Star game July 17 at San Diego.

Chad McCarty scored his first MLS goal with 2:54 left as the Tampa Bay Mutiny defeated the San Jose Clash, 2-1, before 8,455 at Tampa, Fla.

The Asian Football Confederation rejected the offer from UEFA of a half berth in the 2002 World Cup finals and said again it would boycott qualifying.