Sports briefs

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jun 30, 2007

Hockey

SALARY CAP INCREASE: The NHL salary cap will rise to $50.3 million per team next season, an increase of $6.3 million from last season, the league and players' union announced Friday. It's the second increase under the collective bargaining agreement that ended the yearlong lockout in 2005. Teams don't have to spend up to the ceiling, but each club's payroll must be at least $34.3 million. The range from top to bottom is always $16 million.

BRIERE WILL TEST MARKET: Co-captain Daniel Briere has broken off negotiations with the Buffalo Sabres, deciding to test the NHL free agent market when it opens Sunday. "We've made the decision to go to July 1 and sit down and seek all options at that point," Briere's agent Pat Brisson told The Associated Press on Friday. The decision will make the player one of the most sought-after free agents. He's expected to attract offers above $6 million, coming off a career- high season in which he finished 10th in the NHL with 95 points (32 goals, 63 assists).

STUMPEL SIGNS: The Florida Panthers signed center Jozef Stumpel to a two-year contract extension Friday. The 34-year-old Stumpel has played in 147 games for the Panthers in the past two seasons and had 38 goals and 71 assists. He scored 23 goals last season -- a career high.

Auto racing

TOYOTA TAKES POLE: Dave Blaney finally gave Toyota something to celebrate Friday, winning the pole for the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway.

It's been a long, difficult first season in Cup for the Japanese automaker. Its teams have had trouble getting their cars qualified for races, let alone vying for poles.

But Blaney's fast lap of 129.437 mph in his Bill Davis Racing No. 22 Camry was easily the fastest in qualifying for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 300.

The news wasn't all good for Toyota, though. Brian Vickers, who drives for the Red Bull Racing team and has Toyota's best race finish -- fifth last month at Charlotte -- had his qualifying lap disallowed when his car failed post-qualifying inspection. Officials said the car was too low on the left side.

Jurisprudence

BENOIT TESTS PENDING: The father of pro wrestler Chris Benoit said Friday that he was eager to see whether chemical tests can help explain why Benoit killed his wife and son and committed suicide.

Michael Benoit said by phone from his home in Canada that his family is shocked and in disbelief over the slayings. "We have no understanding of why it happened," he said. Anabolic steroids were found in Chris Benoit's home in an Atlanta suburb, leading officials to wonder whether the drugs played a role in the killings. On Friday, for a second time, federal agents raided the office of a doctor who prescribed testosterone to Benoit. The agents did not say what they were looking for or what they found.

Soccer

CUBANS TO TRY OUT: Two players who left the Cuban national team during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Houston earlier this month will get a tryout with Chivas USA of Major League Soccer.

Chivas USA spokesman Keegan Pierce, said Friday that Lester More, a 28-year-old forward, and Osvaldo Alonso, a 21-year-old midfielder, are expected to work out with the team during the week of July 9.

Chivas USA's leading scorer is Maykel Galindo, who left the Cuban national team two years ago in Seattle. He eventually received political asylum and played for the Seattle Sounders of the United Soccer Leagues' First Division, where he played until joining Chivas USA during the preseason.