Off the wire

HOCKEY

Capitals hire Trotz

After missing the playoffs for the first time in seven years, the Washington Capitals hired former Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz and promoted Brian MacLellan to general manager on Monday. Trotz was the Predators’ coach for 15 seasons before being dropped from the job in April. In Washington, he takes over for Adam Oates, who was fired last month with a season left on his three-year deal. MacLellan replaces George McPhee, whose contract was not renewed after 17 seasons as the Capitals’ GM. In the team’s press release announcing Monday’s moves, owner Ted Leonsis said Trotz was “the only coach we coveted” and called him “an ideal fit to help lead our club.” It’s a change in philosophy for the Capitals in terms of picking a coach: Each of McPhee’s choices for the job had never previously been a head coach in the NHL. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has won three league MVP awards and again led the NHL in scoring this season with 51 goals. But the Capitals haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs during the Russian wing’s career. MacLellan has been with Washington for 13 seasons, seven as assistant GM. He was with five clubs during a 10-year NHL playing career. Trotz and MacLellan will be introduced at a news conference today. From 1992 to 1997, Trotz coached the Capitals’ top minor league affiliate in the American Hockey League. He was hired by the Predators in August 1997, when the club was preparing for its expansion season of 1998-1999. Before leaving Nashville, Trotz had been the league’s longest-tenured coach with one team. His Predators contract was set to expire at the end of June, and that club offered him a job in their hockey operations department. But Trotz — a finalist for the Jack Adams award as the top coach in the NHL twice in the past five seasons — made clear at the time that he wanted to keep coaching. The Predators failed to make the playoffs each of the past two seasons.

The Buffalo Sabres signed forward Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year contract on Monday. Deslauriers, 23, a restricted free agent, was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on March 5. He played in 17 of the Sabres’ last 20 games, scoring one goal for Buffalo. A converted defenseman, Deslauriers led the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs in goals with 18 before being acquired by the Sabres. He finished the AHL season with 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists) in 65 games.

LACROSSE

Duke men repeat

Duke claimed its second consecutive men’s lacrosse national championship with an 11-9 victory over Notre Dame in Baltimore. The top-seeded Blue Devils (17-3) limited the Irish to one goal over the first 35 minutes, built a six-goal lead in the third quarter and held on. The sixth-seeded Irish (12-6) closed to 9-8 with 5 minutes left and had the ball with a chance to tie. But after Duke goalie Luke Aaron stopped a shot by Jim Marlatt, Kyle Keenan scored on the other end with 2:39 to go for a two-goal cushion. Sergio Perkovic’s fifth goal of the game made it 10-9 with 49.6 seconds remaining. Duke won the ensuing draw, however, and Jordan Wolf scored into an empty net with 23.6 seconds left to clinch it.

FOOTBALL

Redskins promote Allen

Bruce Allen is now officially upgraded to president and general manager of the Washington Redskins. Previously, Allen held the GM title but was an executive vice president. In a press release issued by the team on Monday, owner Dan Snyder said, “I think the world of Bruce Allen and giving him both titles is appropriate.” Allen was hired by the Redskins in December 2009, after spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders in the NFL, as well as USFL clubs. Last week, Allen said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the team’s nickname is “respectful” toward Native Americans. That followed half the U.S. Senate publicly urging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to change the club’s name, saying it is a racist slur.

GOLF

Lowry tops U.S. Open qualifiers

Ireland’s Shane Lowry topped the list of U.S. Open qualifiers a day after missing out by a shot in qualifying automatically for next month’s championship. Lowry shot rounds of a 3-under-par 69 at Walton Heath’s New Course on Monday and then posted a 5-under par 67 on Old Course for an 8-under par total to finish a stroke clear among the 14 leading qualifiers in a starting field of 105 players. It is the second time in five attempts the 26-year old Dubliner has been successful at Walton Heath in qualifying for a U.S. Open. The two-time European Tour winner had secured his biggest pay check in finishing runner-up to good friend Rory McIlroy in Sunday’s concluding BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where a victory would have allowed Lowry to skip qualifying. Lowry’s second place finish in the BMW PGA Championship saw him jump 68 spot to World No. 74 and the likelihood of adding also August’s PGA Championship to his schedule. But while Lowry won through to the U.S. Open fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington will now miss a first U.S. Open in 15 years after falling six shots shy of qualifying with rounds of 75 and 71. Last month, Harrington also failed to qualify for the Masters for the first time in 14 years. Harrington will take a week’s break before returning to the PGA Tour for the June 5th commencing FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis.

HORSE RACING

Chrome runs two miles

California Chrome has galloped again in preparations for the Belmont Stakes, while a new contender trained by Todd Pletcher has emerged for the last leg of the Triple Crown. The colt ran 2 miles Monday, with assistant trainer Alan Sherman saying the Triple Crown hopeful is training well for the 1 1/2-mile race June 7. No horse has swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont since 1978. California Chrome is to have his lone official workout next weekend. Pletcher said Matterhorn could run the Belmont. The colt was fourth in the Peter Pan on May 10 and was recently sold to new ownership. Pletcher already has a Belmont starter in Commissioner, runner-up in the Peter Pan. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Matuszak is under consideration for the Belmont. The colt has just one victory and is coming off a second-place finish in the Federico Tesio in Maryland.

Todd Pletcher became thoroughbred racing’s leading money winning trainer when Jack Milton rallied from last to win the $300,000 Poker Stakes on Monday afternoon at Belmont Park. Pletcher’s runners have won $268,502,284. He moved past D. Wayne Lukas, Pletcher’s former mentor, who is now second with $268,467,262. Quarterhorse earnings by Lukas are not included in the figures. Jack Milton earned $180,000 to put Pletcher over the top. A 4-year-old colt, Jack Milton beat Big Screen by 2 3/4 lengths for his fourth victory in 10 starts. Javier Castellano was aboard for the one mile on the firm turf in 1:33.09. Jack Milton paid $7.70, $4.10 and $2.20. Big Screen returned $9.20 and $3.40 while Za Approval paid $2.10 as the 4-5 favorite. The Poker was the third stakes victory for Pletcher on Monday at Belmont. He earlier captured the $196,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes for 3-year-olds on the turf with Gala Award, and the $100,000 Jersey Girl for 3-year-old fillies with Red Velvet.

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