Arbitrator Studies Fedorov Pact
The Carolina Hurricanes asked an arbitrator Wednesday to uphold the contract offered to center Sergei Fedorov, a player the team believes can transform the franchise into an immediate playoff contender.
Following a teleconference hearing lasting one hour and 45 minutes, arbitrator John Sands did not immediately rule on the deal. The NHL moved to disallow the deal Monday, saying it violated the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Fedorov, a restricted free agent who helped the Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup last year, has not played in an NHL game this season because of a contract dispute with the club.
He agreed to a six-year contract with the Hurricanes that would pay him a $14 million signing bonus, $2 million in salary and $12 million if his team makes it to the conference finals this year.
Islander sale reality
It’s official: The New York Islanders have finally been sold.
After a series of snags that stretched over the past seven years, the Islanders have been officially bought by New York Sports Ventures, headed by Steven Gluckstern and Howard Milstein.
New York Sports Ventures purchased the team from John Pickett for $195 million. The deal includes the team, the cable television contract (worth a total of about $500 million) and the 70-acre tract of land that surrounds the Coliseum.
Marchment suspended for 8
The National Hockey League suspended Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Bryan Marchment for eight games for kneeing Carolina Hurricanes forward Kevin Dineen.
The suspension includes one game already served on Feb. 7 against the Washington Capitals. Marchment, who also was fined $1,000, was suspended three games in December for a similar hit that kept Dallas Stars center Mike Modano out for a month.
On the ice
U.S. Olympic coach Ron Wilson’s miserable month got worse Wednesday night as his Washington Capitals lost 4-3 at home to the cellardwelling Tampa Bay Lightning on Alexander Selivanov’s goal with 7.4 seconds to play.
At Uniondale, N.Y., Ed Belfour stopped 21 shots as the Dallas Stars beat the New York Islanders 4-1 in the first game for the two teams since the Olympic break.
Uwe Krupp scored his first goal in two months to lift the Colorado Avalanche over the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 in Phoenix.