Oilers closer to new arena

Hockey: The Edmonton Oilers are a step closer to a new arena.

Even though all the money is not in place, the Edmonton City Council has given final approval to a deal that would see a new downtown arena built for the NHL club.

The vote was 10-3 in favor of the agreement with Oilers owner Darryl Katz. The agreement would keep the Oilers in the city for the next 35 years. Without a new arena, there had been some speculation the Oilers might be relocated to Seattle.

The rink will cost $480 million but $107 million is still needed. The city had hoped the province would make up that shortfall, but Premier Alison Redford has repeatedly said there would be no direct provincial funding.

Construction would be expected to begin by spring 2014, with the arena opening in the fall of 2016.

Associated Press

WSU releases recruit Lancona

College Basketball: Tanner Lancona, a 6-foot-8 forward from Las Flores, Calif., who signed a letter of intent in November to play for Washington State, has been released from his letter and will pursue other options.

Lancona announced the news on his Twitter page Thursday, writing that he and WSU reached a mutual agreement for him to play elsewhere.

Coach Ken Bone told the Spokesman-Review something similar.

“At the end of every year you sit down with every player in your program, every player that has signed letters of intent and just talk about where they stand for the following year,” Bone said via telephone from Southern California, where he met with Lancona yesterday. “And like I said, as Tanner and I discussed that, we agreed that at this time, WSU is not the right place for him and he’ll be able to pursue different opportunities.”

Christian Caple