Byline: Combined wire services
NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers agreed to a contract with free-agent center Petr Nedved, their second-leading scorer last season behind Brian Leetch.
Nedved had 32 goals and 46 assists in 79 games last season, posting the highest scoring totals of his three-year stint with New York. It was the second-best season of his 10-year National Hockey League career, having scored 99 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96.
Nedved also has played for the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues, recording 234 goals and 296 assists in 652 games.
The Rangers didn't disclose terms of the agreement and agent Mike Barnett didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.
The Rangers begin their preseason Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils.
The Phoenix Coyotes signed coach Bob Francis to a one-year contract extension through the 2002-03 season.
Francis is entering his third season as Phoenix's coach, having replaced the fired Jim Schoenfeld in June 1999. Francis had been an assistant with the Boston Bruins for two seasons before joining the Coyotes.
Financial terms of Francis's extension weren't disclosed.
GOLF
Greg Turner withdrew his threat to boycott the New Zealand Open in January in protest of skyrocketing ticket prices because of Tiger Woods' appearance in Wellington, New Zealand.
Weekly passes to the tournament have risen from $21 to $194 this year to cover a reported $2.15 million appearance fee for Woods.
Turner, a New Zealand golfer who lives in England, called the increase ``an insult to golf followers.''
Jason Bohn, a 28-year-old from Atlanta shot a 13-under-par 58 at Huron Oaks Country Club in Sarnia, Ontario, to win the Canadian Tour's Bayer Championship by two strokes and go one below the best round ever shot in PGA Tour-sanctioned competition.
Bohn matched the 58 shot by Shigeki Maruyama of Japan in qualifying for the 2000 U.S. Open at the par-71 Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md.
RUNNING
Paul Tergat of Kenya captured the Great North Run, pulling away halfway through the 13.1-mile road race and winning by more than a minute in Newcastle, England.
In the women's race, world-record holder Susan Chepkemei edged Kenyan countrywoman Joyce Chepchumba for the victory.
Tergat, the two-time world half marathon champion, was timed in 1 hour, 30 seconds. He finished 1:06 ahead of countryman Julius Kimtai. John Mutai, the 1999 champion, made it a Kenyan sweep by coming in third in 1:02:49.
Chepkemei was timed in 1:08:40, the second-fastest time ever. Derartu Tulu, the two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion, finished third.
CYCLING
Igor Gonzalez Galdeano won the ninth stage of the Tour of Spain and compatriot Joseba Beloki retained the overall lead in Zaragoza, Spain.
Gonzalez Galdeano covered the 112-miles between Logrono and Zaragoza in 3 hours, 14 minutes, 52 seconds, averaging an exceptionally fast 34.4 mph.
Levy Leipheimer, an American who rides for Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team, was 12th and moved up to fifth in the overall standings.
SOCCER
The United States was eliminated from FIFA's Under-17 World Championships with its 5-3 loss to France in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.
The U.S. team lost its first two games and was at the bottom of the four-team Group B standings. Even if the Americans beat Nigeria (2-0) in their match this week, they will not have enough points to advance.
