NHL: Chelios sits out after deaths of employees

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios said that he will be off the ice indefinitely while he helps employees of his sports bars cope with the stabbing deaths of two co-workers in Detroit.

Chelios spoke to one of the victims minutes before she was stabbed to death Tuesday by a recently fired employee who later confessed to killing her and a co-worker at the eatery, according to a police report.

“Earl “Dutch” Reibel, the former Detroit Red Wings player who helped the team win consecutive Stanley Cups in the mid-1950s, has died in Kitchener, Ontario, on Thursday. He was 76.

“Buffalo’s Lindy Ruff and Anaheim’s Randy Carlyle will coach the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star Teams, respectively, at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game on Wednesday, Jan. 24 in Dallas.

“Hours after touring the under-construction Sprint Center in Kansas City, Penguins owner Mario Lemieux returned to Pittsburgh for his first in-person meeting with government officials since a plan to fund a $290 million arena with casino money was rejected. Neither side offered specifics about the so-called Plan B deal to build a replacement for Mellon Arena, but Lemieux did not appear disappointed by the talks.

Maple Leafs 10, Bruins 2: At Boston, Alex Steen had a hat trick and two assists and Toronto cruised to a win.

Sharks 9, Red Wings 4: At San Jose, Calif., Patrick Marleau had a goal and three assists while becoming the San Jose’s career scoring leader, and Joe Thornton contributed four assists during their rally from a three-goal deficit to a victory over Detroit.

Coyotes 2, Hurricanes 0: At Raleigh, N.C., Curtis Joseph made 29 saves in his second straight shutout and Phoenix won.

Rangers 3, Flyers 2: At New York, Martin Straka’s sixth hat trick pushed him over the 20-goal mark for the sixth time and carried New over Philadelphia.

Capitals 5, Canadiens 1: At Washington, Dainius Zubrus and Alexander Semin each scored twice, Alex Ovechkin had three assists, and Washington beat Montreal.

Devils 4, Islanders 3: At East Rutherford, N.J., Zach Parise scored two goals and Martin Brodeur made 40 saves to lead New Jersey Devils to victory over New York.

Lightning 3, Wild 2: At St. Paul, Minn., Martin St. Louis and Vincent LeCavalier scored goals to lead Tampa Bay.

St. Louis 2, Blackhawks 0: At St. Louis, Lee Stempniak and Dennis Wideman scored power-play goals to lead St. Louis to a victory over Chicago.

Flames 5, Panthers 4 (OT): At Calgary, Alberta, Mark Giordano scored 4:30 into overtime to give Calgary a win over Florida, a victory marred by an injury to leading scorer Jarome Iginla.

Stars 6, Oilers 5 (SO): At Edmonton, Alberta, Sergei Zubov and Jussi Jokinen scored in a shootout as Dallas beat Edmonton.