SHERBROOKE, Quebec — Pat Burns, who led the New Jersey Devils to the 2003 Stanley Cup title and was the NHL’s only coach of the year with three teams, died Friday. He was 58.
Burns, a former Montreal police officer, battled cancer of the colon and the liver in 2004 and 2005 and hoped he had beaten the disease, but in January 2009 doctors found it had spread to his lungs.
“Just as they will remember Pat for his success as a coach, hockey fans also will remember his humor, his honesty, his humanity and his courage,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
Burns became the Devils coach in 2002, when New Jersey beat the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in seven games to win the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title. He also coached Boston, Toronto and Montreal, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals with the Canadiens and twice leading the Bruins to the playoffs.
Burns had a career mark of 501-353-165 (.573) in 1,019 games.
SEC suspends Pearl eight games
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been suspended for the Volunteers’ first eight Southeastern Conference games as punishment from league commissioner Mike Slive for violating NCAA rules and misleading investigators about hosting recruit Aaron Craft at Pearl’s home in 2008.
Footnotes.
Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane said he has decided to sell the team he purchased in 1992 for about $117 million.
• The Cleveland Indians said they expect outfielder Shin-Soo Choo to be exempted from military service for leading South Korea to a 9-3 gold-medal win over Taiwan in the Asian Games.
• Larry Rothschild quit as pitching coach of the Chicago Cubs to take the same job with the New York Yankees.
• Barret Loux, selected by Arizona with the sixth overall pick in June’s baseball draft, agreed to a contract with the Texas Rangers after the right-hander was allowed to become a free agent when the Diamondbacks became concerned about his health.
• Jurors said they are deadlocked in the Florida DUI manslaughter case against former major-leaguer Jim Leyritz and were ordered to return today to try to reach a verdict.
• Houston Rockets center Yao Ming is expected to miss at least two more weeks because of a bone bruise in his left ankle.
• Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is day to day because of a sore left ankle.
• NBA TV will televise a game featuring former Nuggets guard Allen Iverson‘s team in Turkey at 1:30 p.m. MST on Sunday.
• A U.S. federal probe into doping in cycling, including whether Lance Armstrong cheated, appears to have made significant headway and is getting closer to its end, according to European and U.S. officials.
• Ian Poulter shot a 10-under-par 60 to take a one-shot lead over Anthony Kang (61—128) through two rounds at the Hong Kong Open.
• John Mallinger birdied five of his last six holes at Pebble Beach for 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Pebble Beach (Calif.) Invitational.
