Yzerman Retires After 23 Years With Red Wings

Steve Yzerman, who led the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cup titles and spent his 23-year NHL career with the club, retired, but said he planned to stay in the organization in some capacity.

“I look forward to a future in the game of hockey with the Red Wings in some aspect,” Yzerman, 41, said Monday at Joe Louis Arena.

Knee surgery limited Yzerman to 16 games in 2002-03, but he returned the next season to score 18 goals and set up 33 others in 75 games.

He managed 14 goals and 20 assists in 61 games last season despite tearing muscles three times. Yzerman, a 10-time All-Star known in Detroit simply as “the Captain” after assuming that role with the Red Wings in 1986, played in 1,514 regular-season games, scored 692 goals and had 1,755 points, sixth most in NHL history.

Yzerman had an effect on the game beyond Detroit. His achievements were recalled Monday by former Pittsburgh Penguins star Mario Lemieux, a Hall of Famer who had his own retirement announcement earlier this year.

“Steve was a great ambassador for the game of hockey and will be sorely missed,” said Lemieux, who played with Yzerman when Canada won the gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

“Steve was a great leader, a great teammate and most importantly is a great person.”

Restricted free-agent forward Jason Spezza, 23, re-signed with the Ottawa Senators, getting a two-year contract worth $9 million.... Defenseman Aaron Ward, who helped the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup title in June, signed a two-year, $5.5-million deal with the New York Rangers.... Free-agent forward Dan Hinote signed a three-year deal at $1 million a season with the St. Louis Blues.... Defenseman Teppo Numminen, a 17-year veteran, agreed to a one-year contract that will keep him with the Buffalo Sabres.... Free-agent forwards Mike Grier and Curtis Brown agreed to contracts with the San Jose Sharks.... Unrestricted free-agent centers Steve Rucchin, a former Mighty Duck, and Glen Metropolit signed with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Forward Ryan VandenBussche, whose contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins expired Friday, was charged with assaulting three police officers during a brawl at Turkey Point, Canada.

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Cremins Hired as Coach at College of Charleston

Bobby Cremins, who hasn’t coached since retiring in 2000 after 19 seasons at Georgia Tech, agreed to a six-year contract with a base salary of $225,000 to coach the men’s team at College of Charleston.

The hiring comes a few days after Gregg Marshall, who had been hired as coach by Charleston, backed out and returned to coach at Winthrop.

Cremins, 59 today, replaces Tom Herrion, whose contract at Charleston was bought out by the school in June.

Scott Garson, UCLA’s video coordinator the last two seasons, has been promoted to assistant coach.... Ross Land, an assistant at Northern Arizona the last two seasons, has been hired as an assistant at UC Irvine.

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JURISPRUDENCE

Broadcaster Uecker Seeks Restraining Order

Bob Uecker, longtime announcer for baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers, said in a civil hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court that he wanted a restraining order against a woman he claimed was stalking him.

Uecker, 72, contends that Ann Ladd, 45, has been sending him gifts and letters for six or seven years.

Ladd was charged with felony stalking of Uecker in a criminal matter. She was released on a bond Wednesday and ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from Uecker.

Top jockey Kieren Fallon was among 11 people charged in London in connection with Britain’s biggest investigation into alleged race fixing.

A sports trial over Italy’s soccer scandal resumed in Rome, with four top Serie A teams -- Juventus, AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina -- and 25 officials, including referees, facing match-fixing charges and possible relegation.

The session was taken up by procedural objections brought up by defense lawyers. The sports judges rejected most requests to delay the trial or clear suspects on technicalities.

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MISCELLANY

Barbaro Is OK After Another Procedure

The cast on Barbaro’s shattered right hind leg was replaced for the second time -- six weeks after the Kentucky Derby winner suffered the life-threatening injury at the Preakness.

Dr. Dean Richardson, who replaced the cast he had put on Barbaro on June 13 at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, said two bent screws were replaced and three new ones were added across the horse’s pastern joint.

Justin Gatlin, Olympic champion and co-holder of the 100-meter world record, withdrew from a Grand Prix track and field meet at Athens because of a mild leg strain. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal won the 100 meters in 10.03 seconds.

Gustavo Upegui Lopez, the 53-year-old owner of soccer club Envigado in Colombia, was killed over the weekend in his home in the Northwest region of the country during what police suspect was a kidnapping attempt.