■ Blackhawks
Lalime off the ice for months
Goaltender Patrick Lalime, who signed a one-year, US$700,000 deal with the Blackhawks on July 1, was to have back surgery yesterday that will keep him off the ice for two to three months. While preparing for the National Hockey League team's training camp in Chicago, which opened on Thursday, Lalime experienced back pain. The Blackhawks' medical staff determined surgery was necessary. Lalime's absence leaves the job as backup to Nikolai Khabibulin up for grabs. Sebastien Caron, who signed a one-year deal last month, and Brian Boucher, who is in camp as an invitee, will likely compete for the position. A sixth-round pick of Pittsburgh in 1993, Lalime made an immediate impact upon his arrival to the NHL, setting a league record for the longest unbeaten streak by a rookie to start his career by going 14-0-2 with the Penguins in 1996-1997.
■ Rules
New measures unveiled
National Hockey League players will be allowed to use stick blades that are curved 1.9cm, 60mm more than last season, under a series of minor rules changes approved on Thursday by the league's board of governors. During regulation time or overtime but not shootouts, a player found to have a stick curved more than the new regulation will be assessed a minor penalty and a US$200 fine for the first offense. A second offense in the same season will be accompanied by a minor penalty, plus a fine of US$1,000. A third offense will result in a game misconduct penalty and an automatic one-game suspension. The suspension will double in length for any subsequent violation. The board also approved enhanced measures against diving and embellishment of actions in the attempt to draw a penalty. It also approved a rule change that will give the home team the choice of shooting first or second in a shootout.
■ Flyers
Keith Primeau retires
Keith Primeau, the former captain and emotional leader of the Philadelphia Flyers, retired from the National Hockey League on Thursday because of continuing post-concussion symptoms. Primeau, 34, trained furiously in recent months with hopes of returning to the team but was not given medical clearance to start training camp, which began on Thursday. "This was very difficult for me to accept," Primeau said. "I discussed it with family and friends before making the decision to retire from the game that I love," he said. Primeau met with medical people in the US and Canada in recent months and received treatment, but the concussion symptoms persisted. "We tried everything conventional and avant-garde," Flyers team physician Gary Dorshimer said. "But when you still have symptoms with exertion, you can't be cleared to play."
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