Avery draws six-game suspension from NHL

Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery on Friday was suspended for six games and agreed to seek an anger management evaluation, a day after meeting with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

Avery was disciplined because of crude comments he made about former girlfriends who are currently involved with other NHL players.

Bettman, in a media teleconference call, said, “What needed to be clear was this type of conduct is unacceptable. It is not representative of what our players do.”

Bettman was peppered with questions about whether the Avery case was treated more harshly than some on-ice incidents that caused injuries.

He called such comparisons “apples and oranges,” and said that “players in the league are held accountable for conduct on and off the ice.”

Kings forward Dustin Brown, whose mild speech impediment made him a target of derisive comments by Avery when they were teammates, laughed when told that Avery will undergo anger management evaluation.

“Everybody makes a big deal out of it. I know Aves. The more people talk about it the more he’ll do stuff like this,” Brown said. “I learned that early on when he was here. The more attention you give him, the more he’ll go. It’s not my business.”

-- Chris Foster and Helene Elliott

GOLF

Wie is two back of qualifying lead

Michelle Wie offset her mistakes with enough birdies to shoot a par 72 that left her two shots behind and still in good shape at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mollie Fankhauser shot a 66 on the tougher Legends course, host of all the top players in the third round, and finished at 12-under 204.

The 90-hole tournament concludes Sunday with 20 players earning their LPGA cards for 2009. The field will be reduced to the top 70 and ties after the fourth round today.

Glen Day, a former PGA Tour winner trying to make it through Q-school finals for the second time in three years, took a big step with an eight-under 64 to share the lead with James Nitties at the halfway point at La Quinta.

The six-round tournament concludes Monday, with the top 25 and ties earning their cards for 2009.

Former PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks had a 70 and was tied for 11th.

WINTER SPORTS

Vonn wins women’s downhill

Defending World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn won the first women’s downhill of the season at Lake Louise, Canada.

Aksel Lund Svindal showed no apprehension while winning the men’s downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo., a year after a serious crash on the Birds of Prey course ended his season.

BASEBALL

South Korean joins Angels

The Angels agreed to terms with South Korean pitcher Pil Joon Jang on a minor league contract. The 20-year-old right-hander became the second Korean-born player in the Angels’ system, joining right-hander Jung Young-il.

Chairman Crane Kenney of the Chicago Cubs said he expected the team to be sold by spring training, which starts in mid-February. The team is owned by the Tribune Co., which also owns The Times.

ETC.

One of Phelps’ records falls

University of Texas swimmer Dave Walters set an American record in the 200-yard freestyle at the Texas Invitational in Austin, breaking the record set by Michael Phelps. Walters finished with a time of 1 minute 31.83 seconds.

Phelps set the record on March 3, 2006, with a time of 1:32.08 at the same pool.

Former NBA and Monrovia High player Corie Blount was charged with felony drug possession after authorities saw him pick up a package they knew contained marijuana, then found more marijuana at his home, the Butler County (Ohio) sheriff said. Blount’s career included a stint with the Lakers.

Wait A While, third-place finisher in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita, has tested positive for excessive levels of procaine, a local anesthetic. The California Horse Racing Board said a hearing would be held Dec. 14 to consider disqualification of the 5-year-old mare and forfeiture of $213,000, her share of the purse. A hearing has not been scheduled for Todd Pletcher, who trains Wait A While.