Maple Leafs Get Nolan in a Trade

Owen Nolan, the San Jose Sharks’ franchise scoring leader and their captain since 1998, was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.

The Sharks acquired center Alyn McCauley, highly regarded prospect Brad Boyes and a first-round draft pick from the Maple Leafs, who shook their reputation for trading timidity.

The deal, rumored for weeks, marks the end of an era in San Jose, where General Manager Dean Lombardi built his team around the moody power forward. With Nolan as their captain, the Sharks improved their points total in every season until their disappointing current campaign.

Nolan has 22 goals and 20 assists in 61 games this year. In 836 career games -- 568 with the Sharks -- he has 323 goals and 352 assists.

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An arbitrator has rejected a grievance filed by the NHL Players’ Assn. that challenged an Alberta, Canada tax on players.

The 12.5% tax on pay earned in the province applies to players for the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, as well as members of visiting teams.

The Alberta tax was originally conceived as a visiting players’ tax when Oilers and Flames officials approached the Alberta government for help 2 1/2 years ago. But provincial officials concluded it wouldn’t survive a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement if Alberta teams were exempt.

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Jaromir Jagr of the Washington Capitals owes more than $3 million in back taxes, the Internal Revenue Service alleges in a federal tax lien. The IRS filed the lien Friday in Allegheny County (Pa.) Court. According to the lien, Jagr owes $3,270,209 in income tax for the 2001 calendar year.... Darcy Tucker and Tie Domi of the Maple Leafs were suspended by the NHL for their actions Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators. Tucker was suspended for five games for confronting Chris Neil on the Senator bench and Domi was suspended for three games for punching Ottawa’s Magnus Arvedson late in the game.