Palffy Signs to Play for Czech Team

Former King Ziggy Palffy, who was unable to attract interest from an NHL team this summer, has signed with Slavia Prague in the Czech league.

Palffy, 32, turned down three offers from the Kings, including a three-year, $19.5-million contract. Financial terms of his contract with Slavia were not announced, but it includes a buyout should the NHL lockout end.

Palffy scored 150 goals for the Kings after he was acquired from the New York Islanders in 1999. But he slipped to 16 goals last season and sat out 47 games because of a dislocated shoulder.

Palffy joined former King teammate Jozef Stumpel, who also signed with Slavia.

-- Chris Foster

Tennis

Eighth-seeded Jelena Dokic lost in the first round of the China Open at Beijing to Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3, 6-0.

In other first-round singles matches, Li Na defeated Nicole Pratt, 6-3, 6-2, and Emmanuelle Gagliardi defeated Kristina Brandi, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Former Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson, a Manhattan Beach resident, had surgery for a right shoulder injury that has bothered her since January 2003. She hopes to return to the court in six to eight months.

Golf

Tiger Woods won’t be playing in this week’s 84 Lumber Classic at Farmington, Pa., after all.

After much fanfare last week over Woods’ decision to play at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in western Pennsylvania, his agent, Mark Steinberg, said Woods was worn out from the Ryder Cup.

The sixth “Swing fore Sight” charity golf tournament will be played Friday at Los Verdes Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The event benefits the Lions Institute for treatment of eye disease. Details: (310) 543-5200.

Miscellany

John Capel received a public warning from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency after a positive test for marijuana that led to his replacement on the U.S. 400-meter relay team at the Olympics.

Capel tested positive in early August in Munich, Germany.

Nate Archibald, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and the NBA’s 50th anniversary all-time team, was hired as coach of the American Basketball Assn.’s champion Long Beach Jam.

The Harlem Globetrotters have challenged Olympic champion Argentina to a $1-million winner-take-all game that would be shown on pay-per-view TV. The Argentine federation was said to be considering the offer.

Passings

Larry Phillips, a short-track stock car racer whose 2,500 victories included five Winston Racing Series championships, died in Springfield, Mo., after a four-year battle with lung cancer. He was 62.