Colorado Takes Three West All-Star Spots

Three members of the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche - goaltender Patrick Roy, center Joe Sakic and defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh - were voted to the starting unit for the NHL’s Western Conference All-Stars.

Joining that trio for the All-Star game to be played Jan. 18 at San Jose, Calif., are three holdovers from last year’s starting lineup - defenseman Chris Chelios of the Chicago Blackhawks, wing Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues and wing Paul Kariya of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Chelios led in the overall fan voting, being named on 366,408 ballots. The remaining players for the West will be announced Thursday. Eastern Conference starters will be identified Monday.

Penguins’ goalie woes get worse

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Ken Wregget will miss six weeks with a pulled left hamstring, and goalie Tom Barrasso will be out indefinitely to undergo shoulder surgery.

Wregget injured his leg during Thursday’s 3-3 tie with Montreal. He will be replaced by Phillippe DeRouville of Kansas City of the International Hockey League, who will join rookie goalie Patrick Lalime in time for tonight’s game against Buffalo.

Detroit signs tough-guy Kocur

The Detroit Red Wings, criticized for not being physical enough, have signed rugged right wing Joey Kocur.

Kocur, 32, who played five seasons for the Wings before being traded to the New York Rangers in 1991, has 2,270 career penalty minutes in 684 NHL games. He has 70 goals and 71 assists.

“Joey brings a winning attitude to our lineup, along with providing experience and a physical presence,” Wings coach Scotty Bowman said.

Ex-broadcaster Bill Hewitt dies

Broadcaster Bill Hewitt, son of the late Hockey Hall of Fame play-by-play man Foster Hewitt, is dead at 68.

Like his pioneering father, Bill called play-by-play for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1951 until 1981. Bill Hewitt led somewhat of a reclusive life at his farm in Sunderland, 60 miles from Toronto. Foster Hewitt died in 1985.

Leetch milestone assists Rangers

Defenseman Bruce Driver had New York’s third power-play goal of the game - his first goal in 28 games - with 18 seconds remaining as the surging Rangers beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks 3-2 Friday night.

Brian Leetch, who picked up his second assist of the game on the goal, earlier had become the Rangers’ all-time top scoring defenseman. Leetch set up Alexander Karpovtsev at 4:54 of the second period, giving him 611 career points, one more than Ron Greschner.