Rangers prospect had heart condition

According to Russia's federal Investigative Committee yesterday, New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov took performance-enhancing drugs for several months before he died during a Russian league game in October. Investigators added that during his last year Cherepanov, 19, suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and should not have been playing professional hockey . . . Claude Lemieux got a big boost in his hopes of returning to the NHL, signing a two-way contract with the Sharks that allows him to play in San Jose or with the Worcester Sharks of the AHL. Lemieux, 43, played 20 seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2003. He started his comeback by signing with Worcester Nov. 25, and had 2 goals, 4 assists, and 12 penalty minutes in 14 games prior to last night's game against the Portland Pirates . . . Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny will have surgery today to repair a fractured right forearm. Statsny is expected to be out 6-8 weeks . . . St. Louis Blues left wing Paul Kariya said he will undergo surgery on his left hip in the next few weeks, likely ending his season . . . The Washington Capitals recalled former Boston University forward Chris Bourque from Hershey of the AHL. Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, had 8 goals and 20 assists in 27 games for Hershey this season . . . Canada and Sweden improved to 3-0 at the World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Canada, which leads Group A with one game left in the preliminary round, got a pair of goals from Zach Boychuk in a 5-1 win over Germany. Group B leader Sweden routed Latvia, 10-1.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ricky Davis was suspended five games for violating terms of the NBA's drug program. The league said Davis's suspension will begin with the next game for which he is eligible and physically able to play. Davis hasn't played since Nov. 22 because of a sore left knee and is averaging just 4.3 points in 13 games in his first season with the Clippers . . . The New Jersey Nets assigned former first-round pick and Boston College center Sean Williams to the Colorado 14ers of the NBA Development League. Williams was averaging just 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds this season . . . Detroit Shock forward Katie Smith was chosen USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Smith was the MVP of the WNBA Finals and was cocaptain of the gold medal winners in Beijing . . . The North Carolina State women's team played its second straight game without coach Kay Yow, 66, who is battling a recurrence of breast cancer . . . Led by unanimous No. 1 North Carolina, the Atlantic Coast Conference has three teams in the Associated Press men's Top 25, along with No. 5 Duke and No. 6 Wake Forest. The Big East also has three of the top 10 - No. 2 Connecticut, No. 3 Pittsburgh, and No. 7 Notre Dame . . . UConn remained the unanimous No. 1 in the AP women's poll for the fifth straight week.

Alabama All-America left tackle Andre Smith has been suspended from the Sugar Bowl Friday night against Utah in New Orleans for violating unspecified team rules, possibly signaling an end to the Outland Trophy winner's college career. "The University of Alabama, the team and the football program are more important than any individual player," Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a statement. Smith, a junior, is expected to be one of the top players selected in the NFL draft if he opts to skip his final season at Alabama . . . Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $6 million, a reward for leading the Utes to a perfect regular season and BCS bid. Whittingham has won 36 games in four years since replacing Urban Meyer . . . Miami fired offensive coordinator Patrick Nix . . . Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis underwent replacement surgery on his right knee. Weis also will have surgery at some point on his left knee, which was severely injured in a sideline collision in September.

After a brief and unsuccessful stint in the Scottish Premier League, Milford's Michael Videira is returning home to play for the Revolution. Terms of the contract were not released. Videira, 22, was a second-round pick of the Revolution in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, but the midfielder signed with Hamilton Academical instead and suffered through an injury-plagued season before he was released this month. Videira also played at Noble and Greenough and Duke University . . . Righthander Daniel Cabrera formalized his one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Washington Nationals after passing a physical. The 6-foot-7-inch Cabrera went 8-10 with a 5.25 ERA in 30 starts last season . . . The Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine at Memorial Hermann will shed Clemens's name "to better reflect its commitment to all sports and athletes," the Houston-based health system said in a statement. Spokeswoman Ann Brimberry would not say the move was made specifically because of Clemens's highly publicized troubles . . . Heather Richardson won the women's 500 and 1,000 meters and Shani Davis won the men's 1,000, each taking the overall sprint lead at the US Long Track Speedskating National Championships at the Pettit National Ice Center in West Allis, Wis. . . . Maria Riesch of Germany won her second World Cup slalom race of the season, but American Lindsey Vonn finished third in Semmering, Austria, to maintain her overall lead with 530 points, 23 ahead of Riesch.