'Miracle on Ice' player dies

BOB SUTER, a member of the "Miracle On Ice" team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1980 and the father of Minnesota Wild defenseman Ryan Suter, died yesterday at the age of 57.

The Wild announced Suter's death and called him "a great hockey ambassador, he was a terrific person off the ice who will be greatly missed." The team did not disclose other details.

Suter is the first player from the 1980 American men's hockey team to pass away.

The Madison, Wis., native was a standout defenseman in college for the Badgers and was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in 1977. He never played in the NHL, though he paved the way for brother Gary Suter and son Ryan to become stars in the league.

In other hockey news:

* Former minor league hockey player Jordan Hart was arrested on charges he sold illegally obtained prescription painkillers to former hockey player Derek Boogaard of the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild who died of an accidental overdose. Hart was arrested on charges in a federal indictment unsealed in New York. Also arrested was a physician's assistant, Oscar Johnson. His Utah-based employer provided medical services to hockey players. Prosecutors said Hart sold at least some Percocet pills to the Rangers enforcer, who died in 2011.

* Former Saint Joseph's guard Langston Galloway signed a contract with the New York Knicks and will be on their roster for training camp. Galloway finished as the second-leading scorer in Hawks history with 1,991 points and all-time leader in three-point field goals with 334.

* Klay Thompson scored 20 points and James Harden had 12 of his 14 in the third quarter after a scoreless first half, helping the U.S. turn a close game into a 119-76 rout of Slovenia in the quarterfinals of the Basketball World Cup in Barcelona, Spain. Kenneth Faried also had 14 for the Americans, who will play Lithuania tomorrow in Barcelona for a spot in Sunday's gold-medal game in Madrid. Lithuania beat Turkey earlier in the day, 73-61.

* Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe has been suspended for two games without pay for pleading guilty to driving while visibly impaired in Michigan. Monroe's suspension will begin with the first game of the regular season.

* Former Syracuse University ball boys are urging New York's highest court to reinstate their slander lawsuit against basketball coach Jim Boeheim. Bobby Davis and Mike Lang claim Boeheim slandered them in 2011 by calling them liars out for money when they accused his longtime assistant coach, Bernie Fine, of molesting them as children. A judge dismissed the suit last year.

* Former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher left a Swiss hospital and will continue his recovery at home, his manager said. The seven-time F1 champion suffered a serious head injury while skiing in France at the end of December.

* Stewart-Haas Racing gave Kevin Harvick the crew from Tony Stewart's 2011 championship in a move to strengthen Harvick's title chances in his first year with the team. Harvick has been critical of the No. 4 team's pit stops this season.

* FIFA's medical chief, Michel D'Hooghe, wants to allow referees to stop soccer matches for 3 minutes to assess head injuries when a concussion is suspected.