Off the wire

HOCKEY Predators fire Trotz

Nashville General Manager David Poile announced Monday that Barry Trotz, the NHL’s longest tenured head coach with one team, would not be back for a 16th season after the Predators missed the postseason for a second consecutive year. A few hours later, Poile said at a news conference a few hours later that won’t get it done. Trotz’s contract expires June 30, and the Predators offered him a job in their hockey operations department. The two-time Jack Adams finalist made it clear in a very emotional news conference before Poile spoke that he appreciated the offer but wants to keep coaching. Poile refused to put a timetable on hiring a new coach or what type coach he wants. This will be his first search since hiring Trotz in August 1997 when the Predators were gearing up for the expansion franchise’s debut season in 1998-1999. Trotz said he had not been contacted by any other teams when he spoke to reporters, but Poile said he will let the coach out of his contract instantly for another coaching job. Trotz coached 1,196 games with Nashville, second only to Gregg Popovich of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs for longest active coaching tenure in the four major sports. He is the only NHL coach to take his team to the playoffs in seven of eight seasons between 2003-2004 and 2011-2012, which included two conference semifinals. He was 19-31 in the postseason. The Predators finished 10th in the West, going 38-32-12 with 88 points this season. Nashville missed the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time since 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

BASKETBALL Ogwumike No. 1 WNBA pick

Chiney Ogwumike was selected No. 1 by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA Draft on Monday night. Ogwumike joined her sister Nneka, drafted by Los Angeles in 2012, as the only siblings to be chosen first in the WNBA.Peyton and Eli Manning are the only other siblings to be taken No. 1 in the history of the four major American pro sports according to STATS. Chiney Ogwumike finished her stellar career at Stanford as the top scorer and rebounder in Pac-12 history. The choice of the two-time AP All-American drew loud cheers from the crowd at the Mohegan Sun Arena, where Connecticut plays its home games. This was the first time fans were allowed to attend the draft since it was held in Tampa in 2008. Odyssey Sims of Baylor went second to Tulsa and San Antonio took Notre Dame’s Kayla McBride with the third pick. New York drafted Alyssa Thomas of Maryland fourth before trading her to Connecticut as part of a deal to acquire 2012 MVP Tina Charles. The Liberty also gave the Sun next year’s first-round pick and Kelsey Bone, who New York drafted with the fifth pick last year. The Indiana Fever selected Natasha Howard of Florida State with the fifth pick. UConn teammates Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley went with the next two picks to Washington and Seattle. The Atlanta Dream chose Shoni Schimmel of Louisville with the eighth pick. The draft was held in primetime for the second consecutive year. Training camps open April 27, and the WNBA’s 18th season tips off on May 16.

Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell has announced that he’s returning for his junior season with the Cardinals. Harrell had been projected as a possible late first-round NBA Draft selection after becoming an imposing force on both ends for the Cardinals (31-6) last season. The 6-foot-8 power forward led Louisville with 8.4 rebounds per game, was second to Russ Smith in scoring at 14.0 points and just two behind blocks leader Mangok Mathiang with 49.

Kentucky has announced that 7-foot center Willie Cauley-Stein will return for his junior season. Cauley-Stein missed the final three games of the Wildcats’ run to the NCAA championship game after sustaining a left ankle injury in the Midwest Region semifinal against Louisville. He had been projected as a possible top-15 NBA draft pick but said in a statement Monday he wanted to return and move closer to earning his degree. His 106 blocks tied for second-most in a season for Kentucky and he earned All-SEC defensive team honors.

Michigan State guard Gary Harris is turning pro. Harris will skip his last two years of college. The Fishers, Ind., native averaged a team-high 16.7 points last season, helping his team win 29 games, including the Big Ten Tournament championship. Harris helped Michigan State advance to the Elite Eight, where the Spartans lost to eventual national champion Connecticut.

SWIMMING Olympic champion Phelps ending retirement

Michael Phelps is coming out of retirement, lured back into the pool by the fun of it and the possibility of swimming at a fifth Olympics in Rio in 2016.

The 22-time Olympic medalist will compete for the first time since the 2012 London Games at a meet in Mesa, Ariz., on April 24-26.

Bob Bowman, the swimmer’s longtime coach, told The Associated Press on Monday that Phelps is entered in three events - the 50- and 100-meter freestyles and the 100 butterfly.

“I think he’s just going to test the waters a little bit and see how it goes,” Bowman said by phone from Baltimore. “I wouldn’t say it’s a full-fledged comeback.”

Phelps returned to training last fall and re-entered the U.S. drug-testing program. He has completed his six-month waiting period by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to be eligible for competition.

Bowman said Phelps is “pretty far” from being back in top form. He’s been training Monday through Friday with Bowman’s team at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club in his hometown.

“He’s gotten back into good shape since September,” the coach said. “He can give a good effort and certainly not be embarrassed. He’s in enough shape to swim competitively.”

Besides Phelps, USA Swimming said Olympians Ryan Lochte and Katie Ledecky are among those expected to swim in the Arena Grand Prix at Skyline Aquatic Center.

“I’m excited to see what hecan do,” Ledecky told the AP by phone in between classes at her high school in Maryland. “Definitely, it’ll bring some more energy to swimming again.”

Phelps turns 29 in June and is the winningest and most decorated athlete in Olympic history. He captured 18 gold medals and 22 medals overall at the last three Summer Games. He broke Mark Spitz’s record for a single Olympics by winning eight gold medals at Beijing in 2008.

Phelps had vowed that he wouldn’t swim into his 30s. Since retiring less than two years ago, he has stayed busy with a chain of swim schools, a foundation focused on water safety and appearances on behalf of his sponsors. He devoted lots of time to golf and participated in a reality show with famed coach Hank Haney.

In Mesa, Phelps will swim 100 free and 100 fly preliminaries on the first day. Then, if he qualifies, he’ll decide which race to swim for the evening finals, Bowman said. He’ll swim the 50 free on the second day and might swim the 50 fly “just for fun,” the coach added.

Phelps has already entered the remaining Grand Prix meets in Charlotte, N.C., in May and Santa Clara, Calif., in June, although Bowman said no decision has been made on whether he will compete.

Depending on his early results, Phelps could compete in the U.S. National Championships in August in Irvine, Calif., where teams will be selected for the 2015 world championships.