NHL Union Proposal Is Rejected

NHL officials rejected a proposal by the NHL Players Assn. on Thursday, all but guaranteeing a lockout, which would begin when the collective bargaining agreement expires Wednesday at 9 p.m. Pacific Time.

No further meetings are scheduled.

“[NHL Commissioner] Gary Bettman’s concluding remarks were that we aren’t even talking the same language,” said Ted Saskin, the union’s senior director.

The union’s plan, similar to one offered last October, included a one-time 5% rollback in salaries, returning entry-level contracts to 1995 levels and a luxury tax. New to the deal was a revenue-sharing plan that “coupled with the luxury-tax levels is more closely aligned with recent NHL proposals in that area,” Saskin said.

NHL officials contend that such a system would fail under the league’s financial situation.

According to the NHL, its 30 teams lost $224 million last season. Players have opposed remedies they view as variations of a salary cap. In August, union officials rejected six proposals by the NHL.

-- Chris Foster

Golf

Joey Sindelar shot a five-under-par 66 and held a two-stroke lead over Pat Perez in the rain-delayed opening round of the Canadian Open at Oakville.

With a five-hour delay because of rain, half the field at Glen Abbey did not come close to finishing the first round.

Padraig Harrington, playing days after laser eye surgery, broke his slump with a six-under 66 for a one-stroke lead over Alex Cejka at the German Masters in Pulheim.... Ernie Els shot a 71 and was three strokes behind leader Hendrik Buhrmann after the first round of the Korean Open at Seoul.

Motor Racing

Rookie Kasey Kahne started what he hopes will be an uplifting weekend by winning his first pole of the season in 22 tries in NASCAR’s Busch Series at Richmond, Va.

Kahne, 24, a five-time runner-up in the Nextel Cup series this season, turned a lap at 127.678 mph in his Dodge on the three-quarter-mile Richmond International Raceway, edging Kyle Busch and his Chevrolet for the top spot.

Kahne will compete in tonight’s Emerson 250 as well as Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Matt Kenseth turned the all-star International Race of Champions series into a one-star event at Richmond, Va. Taking the lead on the sixth of 90 laps, Kenseth raced comfortably in front the rest of the way....Ted Musgrave led all but 10 laps and held off teammate Jamie McMurray in an aborted two-lap sprint to the finish because of a late caution to win the Kroger 200 Craftsman Truck Series race.

Basketball

Saint Joseph’s men’s Coach Phil Martelli signed a contract extension that will keep him with the school through 2012.

Martelli, entering his 10th year at the school, led the Hawks to a 30-2 record last year when they reached No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

Free-agent center Jake Tsakalidis, who played 40 games for Memphis last season, signed an offer sheet with the Cleveland Cavaliers.... The Golden State Warriors waived forward Christian Laettner, less than one month after acquiring him in an eight-player trade from the Dallas Mavericks.

Miscellany

Iran has paid a judo champion who avoided an Olympic match against an Israeli the same $125,000 prize money it awarded its gold medal winners, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said.

Arash Miresmaeili had reportedly said that he would not meet Ehud Vaks in Athens as a gesture of sympathy with the Palestinian people. On the day of the bout, Miresmaeili, a favorite in the under-66 kilogram class, was declared overweight and disqualified.

Iran does not recognize Israel and bans any contact with the Jewish state.

Australians Craig Walton and Chris McCormack will each be seeking their third victory at the City of Los Angeles Triathlon when the race begins Sunday at 7 a.m.

The race will begin at Venice Beach and finish at Staples Center.

The only World Championship Tour surf contest in North America is scheduled to begin Wednesday at Lower Trestles in San Clemente. The Boost Mobile Pro will feature the world’s top 45 professionals and three wild-card entrants competing in preliminary rounds through Sept. 18.

Meb Keflezighi, the surprise silver medalist in the marathon at the Athens Olympics, has announced his intention to run in the New York City Marathon on Nov. 7.