Sports in brief: Chiefs’ Ulmer signs with Swiss team

Hockey: Spokane Chiefs defenseman Stefan Ulmer signed a three-year contract with the Lugano Hockey Club in the Swiss National League. Ulmer will remain with the Chiefs through the end of the season and join Lugano next year.

The Swiss National League is the top professional league in Switzerland.

Before joining the Chiefs, Ulmer, an Austrian, played junior hockey in Switzerland for the GCK Lions.

Ulmer, 19, is in his third season in Spokane and has played 163 games in a Spokane jersey. In 63 games last year, he set career highs of eight goals, 32 assists and 40 points. In 60 games this season, he has seven goals and 38 points.

The Chiefs also announced that they recalled defenseman Garrett Leedahl from the Humboldt Broncos.

Braves fall to Nelson in Game 7

Hockey: Chris Cucullu scored 6 seconds into the match and Scott Jago added a pair of goals to power the Nelson Leafs to a 7-1 romp over the Spokane Braves in Game 7 of a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League playoff series in Nelson, British Columbia.

Spokane (35-26-0-2) finished in the final five of the 18-team league and made it deeper into the playoffs than it had in 15 years.

Chase Wharton scored the lone goal for Spokane and it came in the second period.

The Leafs outshot the Braves 35-16 – holding Spokane to just two shots in the final period.

Braves goalie Cash Ulrich had 28 saves.

Nelson will play Fernie in the next round, the conference final.

Weir will skip world meet

Figure skating: Johnny Weir announced Tuesday he will not compete at the world championships later this month in Turin, Italy. But he’s not calling it quits, saying he hopes the work he does for next season will be the most exciting of his career.

“While I understand the importance of competition, I feel that a short break at this time would be personally beneficial to me,” said Weir, who was sixth at the Vancouver Olympics. “I can assure everyone that I will be re-energized after I’ve had time to rework my technique.

“I want to be a better competitor and win medals for my country and I hope everyone can respect my decision to take this time off.”

Weir will be replaced by Adam Rippon.

Associated Press