Briefs | Ex-player and assistant Tocchet gets probation

NHL

Tocchet ran illegal sports-gambling ring: Rick Tocchet, a former player and assistant coach who ran an illegal sports-gambling ring, won't serve jail time. Tocchet, 43, was ordered by Judge Thomas Smith Jr. in Burlington County Superior Court in Mount Holly, N.J., to serve two years' probation.

Tocchet could have received up to five years in state prison. But there is a presumption against incarceration for first-time offenders who plead guilty to third- or fourth-degree crimes.

Tocchet's lawyer, Kevin Marino, said, "Mr. Tocchet never placed a bet on professional hockey. Mr. Tocchet never took a bet on professional hockey. He in no way compromised the integrity of the game of hockey or the National Hockey League."

Before being sentenced Friday, Tocchet told the judge, "I'm sorry to the court, my family and friends I was involved in this."

Appetite for hockey: The St. Louis Blues are offering free food and beverages for all fans at their Jan. 19 home game against Nashville. It is the second straight season the Blues have run the promotion.

Boxing

Hopkins is fined for weigh-in brawl before Wright fight: Nevada regulators fined Bernard Hopkins $200,000 for instigating a weigh-in brawl before his fight with Winky Wright. The fine amounts to 6 percent of the $3 million purse he received for the July 20 bout, which he won by unanimous decision.

Asked what set him off, the 42-year-old Hopkins told the regulators Wright's entourage was talking trash about his dead mother.

College football

Clemson running back McElrathbey suffers knee injury in practice: Clemson running back Ray Ray McElrathbey, who earned headlines after taking custody of his 12-year-old brother last year because of their mother's cocaine addiction, suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice Thursday.

The injury came a month after McElrathbey had arthroscopic knee surgery, limiting his offseason workouts.

Filipe to leave Oregon: Oregon defensive end Victor Filipe, a senior, is leaving the team for personal reasons after sitting out last season with an elbow injury, Ducks coach Mike Bellotti said.

Tennis

Golovin knocks off Kuznetsova: Tatiana Golovin of France upset third-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto. She will face Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, who defeated Virginie Razzano of France 7-5, 6-2.

In the other semifinal match, Yan Zi of China will play top-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium.

Federer advances: Roger Federer of Switzerland beat Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Mason, Ohio.

In today's semifinals, Federer will face Lleyton Hewitt of Australia and James Blake will play Nikolay Davydenko of Russia.

Blake beat Sam Querrey 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in an all-American quarterfinal.

Little League World Series

Massachusetts team wins a thriller: Center fielder Michael Rando's spectacular game-ending catch preserved a 3-2 win for Walpole, Mass., over Hamilton, Ohio, in the opening game of the event in South Williamsport, Pa.

In other games, Warner Robins, Ga., defeated Lake Oswego, Ore., 9-4; Tokyo beat Willemstad, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, 10-3; and Maricaibo, Venezuela, edged Taichung, Taiwan, 2-1.

Soccer

Beckham has full schedule: Superstar David Beckham was chosen to play for host England on Wednesday night in an exhibition against Germany but intends to fly to California in time to play in the Los Angeles Galaxy's Major League Soccer match against Chivas USA on Thursday night.

Beckham plans to fly to London on Sunday, after starting for the Galaxy in today's MLS match against the New York Red Bulls in East Rutherford, N.J.

College basketball

Man convicted of killing USC's Francis: A man convicted of killing USC guard Ryan Francis faces an automatic life-prison sentence without parole.

D'Anthony Ford, 20, was found guilty of second-degree murder and aggravated battery. Francis was shot to death last year in Baton Rouge, La.

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