Vancouver Canucks lose Sami Salo, sign Jason Garrison | NHL

NHL

Vancouver loses defensemen

Salo and Rome, adds Garrison

The first day of free agency was eventful for the Vancouver Canucks in terms of defensemen.

The Canucks lost Sami Salo and Aaron Rome but added ex-Florida Panther Jason Garrison on Sunday.

Salo, 37, signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played the last nine seasons with Vancouver; during that span, the Canucks scored 78 more goals than they allowed when Salo was on the ice.

Rome, 28, signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars worth $4.5 million.

Garrison, 27, got a six-year, $27.6 million contract from the Canucks. He scored 16 goals for Florida last season. Garrison grew up in White Rock, B.C., and thus was viewed as a prime candidate to play for Vancouver.

The biggest names on the free-agent market are defenseman Ryan Suter, who played for Nashville last season, and forward Zach Parise, who played for New Jersey.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes agreed to a 10-year contract extension with 23-year-old center Jordan Staal worth a reported $60 million.

NFL

Saints' Vilma sues league

Linebacker Jonathan Vilma of the New Orleans Saints is suing the league in federal court, claiming commissioner Roger Goodell failed to make a timely appeal ruling regarding Vilma's seasonlong suspension in connection with the league's bounty investigation.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans also asks for a temporary restraining order to allow Vilma to continue working if Goodell upholds the suspension.

The suit contends Goodell has undermined "the integrity of the NFL and the Commissioner's office" by handing down punishments to Vilma and others based on evidence that is either flawed or cannot be substantiated.

It is the second lawsuit Vilma, 30, has filed in the matter. The first, filed in May and also in federal court in New Orleans, seeks unspecified damages from Goodell for defamation of character.

WNBA

Silver Stars defeat Minnesota

Becky Hammon scored 23 points and Sophia Young added 22 to lead the host San Antonio Silver Stars to a 93-84 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx.

San Antonio (7-5) extended its home winning streak to five.

Reserve Monica Wright led Minnesota (13-2) with 18 points.

In other league games, Crystal Langhorne scored 22 points to help Washington beat visiting Phoenix 90-77 and Sylvia Fowles had 21 points to lead host Chicago to a 71-69 victory over Atlanta.

Media

Fox hires broadcaster Andrews

Erin Andrews will host Fox's new college-football pregame show.

Two days after ESPN said the broadcaster was leaving after eight years, Fox officially announced her hiring. Andrews, 34, also will contribute to Fox's NFL and major-league baseball coverage, among other sports.

The main Fox network will start its first regular-season college football package this fall.

The 30-minute pregame show is to premiere Sept. 1.

Volleyball

U.S. women extend title streak

The U.S. women's team won its third straight title in the international FIVB World Grand Prix with a sweep of China.

It was the fifth overall Grand Prix title for the Olympics-bound Americans, who defeated China 26-24, 25-21, 27-25 in the final in Ningbo, China. The U.S. team, ranked No. 1 in the world, won all 14 matches played during the 16-team tournament.

"Our team played some wonderful volleyball over the course of these four weeks and to be able to win this event for the third time in a row is certainly special," U.S. coach Hugh McCutcheon said. "Our team works hard and they play together — it's a special group."

American Megan Hodge was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

Softball

U.S. continues its domination

The United States team completed a perfect run through round-robin play at the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City.

Rookie Amanda Chidester belted a grand slam, Chelsea Thomas allowed two hits in a five-inning shutout and the U.S. team beat Brazil 9-0 to improve to 5-0.

The Americans play Australia (4-1) in the championship game Monday night.

Elsewhere

• Oracle Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill, 33, clinched the inaugural America's Cup World Series season championship and the season fleet-racing championship.

• Central Florida basketball player Marcus Jordan, the 21-year-old son of retired NBA great Michael Jordan, was arrested in Omaha, Neb., and charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing early Sunday after a disturbance outside a hotel.

• Erica Enders, 28, of Houston became the first woman to win an NHRA Pro Stock race, beating four-time series champion Greg Anderson in the final of the Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill.

Other winners were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Jeff Arend (Funny Car) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

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