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PRO HOCKEY
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning pulled off the biggest deal on NHL trade deadline day Wednesday, swapping captains Ryan Callahan and Martin St. Louis.
The surprising move was announced just hours before the afternoon deadline and shortly before the Rangers hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. St. Louis arrived in time to make his debut with New York, but the Rangers lost 3-2 in overtime.
The Rangers had been trying to sign Callahan, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but weren't able to reach an agreement with the gritty forward. They sent him packing instead of risking losing him for nothing.
MONTREAL (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens acquired winger Thomas Vanek from the New York Islanders.
Montreal sent forward prospect Sebastien Collberg and a conditional 2014 second-round pick to the Islanders for Vanek and a conditional fifth-rounder on Wednesday. The draft picks will only change hands if Montreal makes the playoffs.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings bolstered their offense by acquiring former scoring whiz Marian Gaborik from the Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
The Blue Jackets got right wing Matt Frattin and two conditional picks, most likely a second-round pick and also a third-rounder if the Kings win their first-round playoff series or re-sign Gaborik.
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In other trade deadline deals, the Nashville Predators traded away their first draft pick, sending forward David Legwand to his hometown Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Patrick Eaves, a prospect and a third-round draft pick; the Boston Bruins added veteran depth to their young defense corps by trading for Andrej Meszaros for a 2014 third-round draft choice that becomes a second-rounder if the Bruins reach the Eastern Conference finals and he plays in two-thirds of their playoff games; the Washington Capitals acquired Jaroslav Halak from the Buffalo Sabres in a swap of goalies, sending backup Michal Neuvirth and defenseman Rostislav Klesla to Buffalo; the Wild acquired left wing Matt Moulson and center Cody McCormick from Buffalo for two second-round picks (2014 and 2016) and fourth-line forward Torrey Mitchell.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Olympic champion women's goalie Shannon Szabados took the ice with the Edmonton Oilers at practice Wednesday.
The Team Canada goalie filled in at practice for the National Hockey League while the Oilers waited for Viktor Fasth to arrive after a trade with Anaheim.
Szabados got the invite last night after fans on Twitter tried to convince the team to put her on the roster as backup goalie for its game against Ottawa.
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SOCCER
LARNACA, Cyprus (AP) — On a night that gave a small contingent of Ukrainian fans an opportunity to wave their flags and unite amid a political crisis back home, their national soccer team eased past the United States 2-0 Wednesday in an exhibition game shifted from Kharkiv to a Mediterranean island nation 600 miles to the south.
Andriy Yarmolenko scored in the 12th minute and Marco Devic in the 68th as Ukraine exposed the shaky American central defense of Oguchi Onyewu and Anthony Brooks.
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Neymar scored his second international hat trick to lead Brazil over South Africa 5-0 and Cristiano Ronaldo had a pair of goals to set Portugal's career scoring record in a 5-1 win over Cameroon as all 32 World Cup teams prepared for the tournament.
Just 99 days before the tournament opens in Sao Paulo, all World Cup teams had matches on the only date before mid-May that clubs had to release their players.
Defending champion Spain beat visiting Italy 1-0 in a 63-minute goal by Pedro Rodriguez. England won 1-0 at home against Denmark on Daniel Sturridge's headed goal from Adam Lallana's cross in the 82nd minute.
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PRO FOOTBALL
CHICAGO (AP) — Record-setting returner Devin Hester said he will not be back with the Chicago Bears next season. "From my knowledge, I know that Chicago wants to go a different route with me," Hester told the NFL Network. He added the Bears are "parting ways" with him. The team declined to comment.
It looks as if Hester will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent after an eight-year run with the Bears that produced no shortage of highlights.
He matched Hall of Famer Deion Sanders' NFL record with his 19th return for a touchdown last season, tying his friend and mentor with an 81-yard punt return at Washington in October. It was Hester's 13th punt return for a TD, extending his own record in that category.
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos are expected to release perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.
By releasing Bailey, the Broncos would open up cap space with the 12-time Pro Bowl player scheduled to make around $10 million next season.
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Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner was reinstated by the NFL following his suspension in December for violating the league's policy on substance abuse.
The NFL and NFL Players Association announced the decision in a joint statement a day after Browner revealed the news on Twitter.
Browner's contract with the Seahawks expires March 11, and he will be eligible to sign with a club and participate in offseason and preseason activities. If he complies with the terms of the substance abuse policy and program, he will be fully reinstated after serving a four-game suspension without pay at the start of the regular season and forfeiting an additional four weeks of pay.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Browns parted ways with wide receiver Davone Bess, following one disappointing season and a disturbing off season.
Cleveland released the troubled wide receiver in an expected ending after Bess was arrested in January for assaulting a law enforcement officer at an airport.
Bess is still owed $3.06 million for 2014, but the Browns may try to recoup some of that money.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller agreed to new three-year contracts with the Pittsburgh Steelers that will keep them with the team through 2016.
Terms of the deals were not disclosed, but both figure to give Pittsburgh salary cap relief before free agency begins next week. The Steelers also agreed to terms with safety Will Allen.
HOUSTON (AP) — It took 10,000 retweets but a Houston-area teenager got his dream date for the high school prom: A Houston Texans cheerleader.
Seventeen-year-old Michael Ramirez, a Crosby High School senior, asked cheerleader Caitlyn on Twitter if she would be his prom date if he could get 10,000 retweets. She responded, "Of course I will," and within 24 hours, it was a done deal.
Ramirez's proposal — "10,000 Retweets and I'll be taking a texans cheerleader to prom" — hit 10,000 on Friday. Caitlyn says she is looking forward to the prom; the team does not release full names of its cheerleaders.
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — The NCAA football rules committee tabled a proposal that would have penalized offenses for snapping the ball before 10 seconds had run off the 40-second play clock.
After a conference call, the committee decided not to send the so-called 10-second rule to the playing rules oversight panel for approval Thursday.
National coordinator of officials Rogers Redding said the NCAA received 324 comments during the feedback period after the proposal passed and 75 percent opposed the change; 16 percent supported the proposal. The rest were uncertain.
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski missed his postgame news conference after the Blue Devils' loss to Wake Forest because he was feeling light-headed.
Associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski stepped in for Coach K after the fourth-ranked Blue Devils' 82-72 loss to Wake Forest.
During a timeout late in the game, Krzyzewski took a knee, and Wojciechowski says that was because the Hall of Fame coach was feeling dizzy and light-headed.
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PRO BASETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Collins' second stint with the Brooklyn Nets will last at least 10 more days after the Nets signed him to a second 10-day contract.
Collins became the NBA's first openly gay player when he signed his first deal Feb. 23. Teams can sign players to two 10-day contracts, and then have to sign them for the rest of the season if they want to keep them.
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GOLF
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Three days after he withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with lower back pain, Tiger Woods returned to work at the Cadillac Championship by saying he feels better after a few days of constant treatment, and that he was good enough to try to defend his title.
He just won't be playing the new Blue Monster until the opening round Thursday. Still being cautious about back spasms, Woods said he would chip and putt while walking a course that is entirely different from the one where he has won four times.
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TENNIS
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — China's Peng Shuai beat 2009 champion Vera Zvonareva of Russia 4-6, 6-0, 7-5 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open.
Zvonareva returned to play at the Australian Open after being sidelined since the London Olympics in August 2012 because of right shoulder problems.
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