Crosby to lead march of the Penguins

Sidney Crosby, already the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season and to win a scoring title, is now the youngest to wear the captain's C. The Pittsburgh Penguins gave the 19-year-old Crosby the long-anticipated title yesterday. The Penguins' timing was more than coincidental. Crosby was 19 years 297 days old when he became a captain; previously, the youngest captain in league history was Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier (19 years 324 days). The Penguins had four alternate captains last season, including Crosby . . . The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Cam Ward -- the most valuable player of the team's run to the Stanley Cup last year -- to a three-year contract. Ward, 23, will earn $2 million next season, $2.5 million in 2008-09, and $3.5 million in 2009-10.

Bruins prospects Mikko Lehtonen and Vladimir Sobotka, who were both selected in the 2005 draft, signed three-year entry-level contracts. Had they not signed by today, both forwards would have reentered the draft this month. The 20-year-old Lehtonen (83d overall) scored six goals and 15 points in 39 games for Espoo this past season. The 19-year-old Sobotka (105th overall) scored seven goals and 13 points in 33 games for Slavia in the Czech Republic in 2006-07, although his season was shortened after he underwent shoulder surgery . . . The Lightning named Mike Sullivan an assistant coach.

Fluto Shinzawa

Baseball

Tampa Bay Devil Rays rookie Elijah Dukes is not allowed to contact his estranged wife for a year under terms of a restraining order she sought after being threatened by the 22-year-old outfielder. The St. Petersburg Times reported NiShea Gilbert, 26, told the newspaper she also had filed for divorce. Gilbert sought a restraining order after receiving a threatening messages on her cellphone. Dukes has apologized . . . The San Francisco Giants traded struggling closer Armando Benitez to the Florida Marlins for reliever Randy Messenger. Benitez, who recently rankled the team by blaming San Francisco hitters for not scoring enough runs, was 0-3 with nine saves in 11 chances and a 4.67 ERA. He had been getting booed at home, as he was last season . . . A Missouri state investigation found no evidence that workers at Mike Shannon's restaurant knew Josh Hancock was drunk when they served the Cardinals pitcher alcohol in the hours prior to his fatal automobile accident in April . . . Reds outfielder Ryan Freel was examined by a head and spine specialist, who recommended rest and limited activity as Freel recovers from a collision with fellow outfielder Norris Hopper Monday.

Colleges

Harvard, Brown, Yale, and Northeastern advanced to the semifinals in the varsity eights at the IRA Championship regatta on Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The Crimson won their heat to advance while Brown and Yale moved on with second-place finishes in their respective heats. NU took a longer path to today's semifinals after finishing fourth in its morning heat but coming back later to win its repechage race to advance.

Miscellany

Mike Tyson won't be allowed to travel to Atlantic City from Arizona to work heavyweight Sultan Ibragimov's corner during his World Boxing Organization title fight against Shannon Briggs tomorrow night. Tyson must get approval from a judge to travel outside of Arizona while drug charges against him are pending. Maricopa County officials never approved the former heavyweight champion's trip to the fight . . . James Blake, the eighth-ranked player in men's tennis, committed to playing in the Pilot Penn in New Haven Aug. 17-25. On the women's side, No. 14 Elena Dementieva also has committed . . . Asjha Jones had a career-high 31 points, including two free throws with 21 seconds left in overtime, and nine rebounds and the Connecticut Sun beat the Sky, 102-97, in Chicago . . . Diana Taurasi scored 21 points to lead the Mercury to a 97-85 victory over the Silver Stars in San Antonio . . . The Boston Cannons drafted six players, including a pair from UMass, in the Major League Lacrosse draft. The Cannons chose Virginia goalie Kip Turner (second overall); Cornell attackman David Mitchell (eighth); Maryland defenseman Ray Megill (ninth); Virginia midfielder Drew Thompson (third round); UMass midfielder Brett Garber (fourth round); and with its final pick, the Cannons grabbed Minuteman defenseman Dan Whipple. The Cannons also traded midfielder Chris Fiore to the Long Island Lizards in exchange for the pick used to draft Megill . . . The New England Riptide opened defense of their National Pro Fastpitch title with a 4-0 loss to the Glory in Washington.