Newsmakers

Fired Oklahoma fired men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel on Monday after he followed a trip to the NCAA tournament’s regional finals with the program’s first back-to-back losing seasons since 1967. Capel was 96-69 in five seasons in charge of the Sooners, but just 17-36 the past two. • Loyola of Chicago has fired men’s basketball coach Jim Whitesell after seven seasons.

Determined An autopsy performed on Rick Martin determined that the former Buffalo Sabres star forward died of hypertensive heart disease. New York State Police issued the findings of the autopsy performed a day after Martin was found unresponsive after the car he was driving left the road and struck a utility pole in suburban Buffalo, N.Y. Hypertensive Arteriosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, is related to high blood pressure and clogged arteries.

Sidelined Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger needs surgery on his right hand and is expected to miss three to four weeks. Pronger will have the surgery Thursday. He had a small fracture in the hand discovered Sunday.

Returned Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby returned to the ice for the first time since missing 29 games with a concussion. But if you’re looking for the Pittsburgh captain’s return date, it’s still anyone’s guess. “I have no clue,” Crosby said. “I’m not thinking too far ahead as far as a time frame. I just want to get better.”

Agreed The Cincinnati Reds and catcher Ryan Hanigan have agreed to a $4 million, three-year contract. Hanigan gets a $300,000 signing bonus and salaries of $450,000 this year, $1.2 million in 2012 and $2.05 million in 2013. His 2013 salary can escalate by up to $400,000 for games started in 2012: $50,000 each for 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100, and $75,000 apiece for 105 and 110. He has those same provisions as performance bonuses for the 2013 season.