Nhl Fines Crawford

Colorado Avalanche coach Marc Crawford was remorseful and apologetic for his Game 4 tirade that resulted in a $10,000 fine by the NHL.

The fine was assessed Friday after Crawford berated Detroit coach Scotty Bowman and attempted to get to the Red Wings’ bench during his team’s 6-0 loss in the Western Conference finals Thursday night.

In announcing the fine, NHL executive Brian Burke issued a statement that read: “Although Mr. Crawford has since apologized to the league for his behavior, this does not excuse the fact that his actions were totally inappropriate.”

Ducks let Kurri become free agent

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks won’t exercise a oneyear, $1.5 million option on right wing Jari Kurri’s contract, making the 16-year National Hockey League veteran an unrestricted free agent.

Kurri, 37, is the highest-scoring European player in NHL history with 596 goals and 780 assists in 1,181 games with the Mighty Ducks, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers.

Red line out of international play

The International Ice Hockey Federation ruled to eliminate the center red line for two-line offside passes after the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, an attempt to create more scoring opportunities.

The rule will apply to all international competitions such as the Olympics and World Championships and will allow teams to attempt more fast-break style plays. The red line will still be used for icing calls.

Rangers’ Karpovtsev to return for Sunday’s game

New York Ranger defenseman Alexander Karpovtsev will return for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday after spending five days in Moscow following the death of his mother.