N.Y. Rangers sign free agent Jarret Stoll
NHL: The New York Rangers are giving former Los Angeles Kings center Jarret Stoll a second chance a few months after he pleaded guilty in a felony cocaine case.
The Rangers on Monday signed Stoll to a one-year, $800,000 contact in a deal that gives the NHL’s best team in the 2014 regular season a center who is outstanding on faceoffs, good on the penalty kill and a veteran who knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup.
The 33-year-old pleaded guilty in June to two reduced misdemeanor charges to resolve a felony cocaine case stemming from his April arrest at a Las Vegas Strip swimming pool. A felony charge of cocaine possession was dismissed.
Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said he spent a lot of time with Stoll talking about the incident, adding he is not worried about him based on how Stoll has handled things.
Stoll has played in 792 NHL games over parts of 12 seasons with Edmonton and Los Angeles, with 140 goals and 239 assists.
• NHLPA files grievance over Richards termination: The NHL Players’ Association filed a grievance on behalf of Mike Richards, contesting the termination of his contract by the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings terminated the final five years of Richards’ contract on June 29, saying the two-time Stanley Cup champion committed “a material breach” of his deal.
NBC renews deal with Premier League
Miscellany: Traditionally a three-year deal, the English Premier League’s extension with NBC is for double that.
The company’s networks will broadcast the top European soccer league through the 2021-22 season under the new agreement. NBC initially won the rights in 2012 from Fox and ESPN with a three-year contract.
Financial terms were not released.
• Sterling sues TMZ, friend over loss of Clippers: Billionaire Donald Sterling sued celebrity website TMZ and an ex-girlfriend over the recording of his off-color remarks that cost him ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sterling’s lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court accused TMZ and V. Stiviano of violating his privacy and causing damage on a “scale of unparalleled and unprecedented magnitude.”
The remarks led the NBA to ban him from the league and ultimately led Sterling’s estranged wife to sell the team owned by a family trust to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion.
• Prince Ali: FIFA cannot be credible while Blatter leads: Former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein says the scandal-hit football body cannot make credible changes in the last months of Sepp Blatter’s leadership.
The Jordanian prince doubts the worth of FIFA’s in-house reform task force supported by Michel Platini, his former ally and front-runner to succeed Blatter in an election scheduled for Feb. 26.
Prince Ali tells The Associated Press in a telephone interview: “I don’t think anybody will take any decisions that are credible in the current situation.”
He says “you need an overall change in leadership,” adding “the entire football world would like to see a change.”