Newsmakers
Suspended Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu has been suspended three games by the NHL for a boarding of Darcy Tucker that knocked out the Colorado Avalanche winger. Ruutu was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for boarding Tucker at 5:26 of the second period of Friday night’s game.
Apologized ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese apologized twice Saturday for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya during the Minnesota-Ohio State game. During the broadcast, ESPN ran a graphic listing the top five drivers in NASCAR’s Chase for the championship points race. Fellow analyst Chris Spielman asked where was Montoya, who is Colombian. Griese replied that he was “out having a taco.” As the game was wrapping up, Griese apologized for the remark and said that Montoya is one of the best drivers in NASCAR. At halftime of ESPN’s coverage of Florida-Mississippi State, Griese apologized again.
Hired The San Diego Padres have hired Jed Hoyer as their new general manager, a person with knowledge of the situation said Saturday. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the formal announcement won’t be until Monday. The 35-year-old Hoyer emerged as a favorite immediately after Padres CEO Jeff Moorad fired Kevin Towers during the last weekend of the regular season.
Injured St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie was expected to miss about two weeks after having an appendectomy hours after playing in a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Friday night. Blues president John Davidson said before the Blues’ game against Dallas that Oshie had surgery Saturday morning. The 22-year-old played more than 17 minutes Friday night.
•Former overall World Cup ski winner Nicole Hosp will miss the rest of the season after crashing and injuring her right knee in the opening race. The Austrian team says Hosp was airlifted by helicopter Saturday off the Rettenbach glacier to a hospital in nearby Innsbruck, where she had ligament surgery on her right knee.
Died At 94, Bill “The Big Whistle” Chadwick, the first U.S.-born official in National Hockey League history who was later a television analyst for the New York Rangers.