Wild give 4 years, $24m to Backstrom

On the day before the NHL's trade deadline, the Wild signed All-Star goalie Niklas Backstrom through 2013 with a four-year contract extension worth $24 million. Backstrom would have been a free agent at the end of this season, but he'll make $6 million annually to stay in Minnesota . . . Sean Avery is back with the New York Rangers, who claimed the controversial forward off waivers from the Dallas Stars in a move weeks in the making. Avery is set for what could amount to his last chance to resurrect his NHL career, and may be in the lineup for tomorrow's game at the Islanders. Avery hasn't played in the NHL since his suspension in December for making a crude remark about other hockey players dating his former girlfriends . . . Mike Grier (knee) and Jeremy Roenick (shoulder) could be out of San Jose's lineup until the playoffs with injuries, possibly spurring trade talks for the NHL-leading Sharks before today's deadline . . . The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Alex Burrows to a four-year, $8 million contract extension, avoiding the possibility of losing the gritty winger as an unrestricted free agent. Burrows, 27, is having a career year, setting personal highs with 18 goals and 33 points in 63 games . . . The driver of a bus carrying a minor league hockey team that crashed on the Massachusetts Turnpike last month has been cited for negligent operation. State Police told the Berkshire Eagle that the driver faces a $50 fine. The bus was bringing the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League back from a game in Lowell Feb. 19 when it skidded off the highway and rolled on its side. Several players and the team's play-by-play announcer were hurt. Defenseman Casey Borer will miss the rest of the season with a broken neck.

Joe Smith is about to bounce back to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The veteran forward, traded last summer by the Cavaliers in the deal that brought them All-Star guard Mo Williams, agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Cleveland, his agent told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Smith can not officially sign until he clears waivers today. But that's the final procedural hurdle in a signing that has been expected since the 33-year-old Smith bought out his contract Sunday with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The family of John Wooden has a request for his many fans: Please stop sending items for the 98-year-old coaching great to autograph. Wooden, who coached UCLA to a record 10 national basketball titles, is recovering from pneumonia that put him in the hospital. Wooden's daughter said the family appreciates the support and respect of fans across the country, but certain steps need to be taken. "Dad would try to sign every item if he could, but the number of items he is receiving has increased greatly in the last few months," Nan Muehlhausen said in a statement released by the school. "Dad is 98 years old and we believe that signing his name for hours on end on a daily basis is not in his best interest." . . . Harvard senior forward Sarah Vaillancourt repeated as ECAC women's hockey player of the year. Joining Vaillancourt on the all-conference first team were two of her teammates, goalie Christina Kessler and forward Jenny Brine . . . UMass climbed to 14th in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll . . . Michigan is extending the contract of veteran hockey coach Red Berenson. Athletic director Bill Martin said the "rolling one-year contract extension" takes effect Sept. 1 . . . Pepperdine will drop its men's varsity track program this year, while women's swimming and diving will get a one-year reprieve before being disbanded after the 2009-10 school year.

Israeli player Andy Ram said Swedish authorities made a "stupid decision" when they barred fans from the Davis Cup series between the nations. Ram became embroiled in an international dispute last month over his appearance at a tournament in United Arab Emirates. He said the decision to play the first-round series in Malmo between Israel and Sweden in an empty stadium could inspire other countries to follow suit . . . David Nalbandian pulled out of Argentina's Davis Cup opener against the Netherlands this weekend because of a viral infection. Seventh-ranked Juan Martin del Potro could replace Nalbandian for the best-of-five series.

The rough economy forced leaders of the US Olympic Committee to cut the federation's work force by 15 percent as a way of saving more than $7.1 million in the 2009 budget. Chief executive officer Jim Scherr said the decision was more of a preemptive move than a reflection on the USOC's less-than-full slate of sponsors. The USOC will take the next four weeks to determine where to make staffing cuts. The federation employs 425 people, 330 at its headquarters in Colorado Springs . . . Miami is no longer a candidate to get a Major League Soccer expansion team after the prospective ownership group determined it isn't feasible to start a franchise in South Florida because of the slumping economy. Other candidates for a 2010 expansion team are Atlanta, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, St. Louis, and Portland, Ore. The Seattle Sounders will join this season, followed by a team in Philadelphia in 2010 . . . Harvard assistant soccer coach Katie Shields has joined the Boston Breakers' coaching staff.