Sharks sign Stanley Cup-winning G Niemi (AP)
The San Jose Sharks signed the goalie who helped knock them out of the playoffs, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with Antti Niemi on Thursday. Niemi joins fellow Finnish netminder Antero Niittymaki in San Jose as the replacements for longtime starter Evgeni Nabokov. Niittymaki signed a two-year, $4 million deal on the first day of free agency in July.
James may see Miami-Ohio St. in Columbus (AP)
LeBron James didn’t change all his teams this summer. James posted on his Twitter feed Thursday that he’s considering going to Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 11 to see the matchup between No. 2 Ohio State — his longtime team of choice — and No. 13 Miami. And no, the former Cleveland Cavaliers star isn’t rooting for the Hurricanes.
NHL OKs Kovalchuk’s new deal with Devils (AP)
The New Jersey Devils did more than sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a $100 million contract. A byproduct of the revised 15-year deal was that the Devils helped the NHL and its players union reach an agreement on long-term contracts that will define how much money will count toward salary caps. “That is exactly what just transpired with the amendment,” Devils president and general manager Lou…
