NEWARK, N.J. — The NHL signed off on Ilya Kovalchuk‘s latest contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Five weeks after rejecting the Russian’s landmark 17-year, $102 million contract with the Devils, the league approved a revised 15-year, $100 million deal Friday after reaching an agreement with the NHL Players Association on an amendment covering long-term contracts. The new deal will put a $6.67 million annual hit on the Devils’ salary cap and put the team roughly $3 million over the league limit ($59.4 million) with only 21 players under contract, two under the league limit.
Johnson, Day share lead
NORTON, Mass. — Zach Johnson strengthened his Ryder Cup case by rolling in putts from everywhere in easy scoring conditions ahead of Hurricane Earl, giving him an 8-under-par 63 and a share of the first- round lead with Jason Day at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Tiger Woods had two bogeys in four holes when the first patch of rain arrived, and it didn’t get much better. He had two more bogeys and was in last place until he fought back for a 72, leaving him three shots below the projected cut.
• Mark Calcavecchia shot an 8-under 64 at Del Monte to take a two-stroke lead over Tom Pernice Jr. in the Champions Tour’s First Tee Open in Pebble Beach, Calif.
• Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 10-under 61 to take a three-stroke lead over Matteo Manasser (67—131) and Edoardo Molinari (65) after the second round of the European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland.
• Nationwide Insurance announced it will end its title sponsorship of the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit when the contract expires in two years.
Landis files whistle-blower suit.
Former Lance Armstrong teammate Floyd Landis, who has accused the seven-time Tour de France winner of doping while riding for the U.S. Postal Service team, has filed a federal whistle- blower lawsuit under the federal False Claims Act. The law allows Americans to sue on behalf of the government alleging the government has been defrauded.
• Alessandro Petacchi won the seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta, and Philippe Gilbert maintained the overall lead.
Footnotes.
A search helicopter spotted the body of John Arum, the son of boxing promoter Bob Arum, on a Washington state mountainside five days after searchers began looking for him in North Cascades National Park. He was 49.
• Todd Bodine overcame a midrace spin to win the NASCAR Trucks Series race in Sparta, Ky., ending Kyle Busch‘s four-race winning streak.
• Cory McClenathan (top fuel) Robert Hight (funny car), Mike Edwards (pro stock) and Andrew Hines (pro stock motorcycle) were the top qualifiers in the NHRA’s U.S. Nationals in Clermont, Ind.
• Ed Carpenter captured the first pole of his career by posting an average speed of 217.933 mph for today’s Indy 300 in Sparta, Ky.
• Brian McBride said he will retire at the end of the MLS season, his third with his hometown Chicago Fire. The Associated Press
