Sports in Brief: Canada hires ex-NHL coach for women's hockey team

Former Flyer Kevin Dineen became coach of Canada's women's hockey team Tuesday ahead of the Sochi Olympics, a month after his firing by the Florida Panthers.

He succeeds Dan Church, who unexpectedly resigned last week, less than two months before the Games in Russia. The team is aiming to win Olympic gold for the fourth consecutive time.

The 50-year-old Dineen grew up in Toronto. He scored 355 goals and added 405 assists on five teams from 1984-2002, including the Flyers from 1991 to '95.

Dineen coached the Panthers for a little more than two seasons and is the only coach to win a division championship for the team.

Illinois native Piper Gilles became a Canadian citizen and will try with Paul Poirier to earn one of Canada's three ice-dance spots for the Olympics at the Canadian figure-skating championships Jan. 9-15 in Ottawa.

Freestyle skier Torin Yater-Wallace, the youngest medalist in Winter X Games history, has broken ribs and could miss the Olympics. The 18-year-old American halfpipe skier was hospitalized after falling during practice.

SOCCER D.C. United acquired Eddie Johnson in a trade with the Seattle Sounders, who received allocation money. The 29-year-old forward led the Sounders in scoring the last two seasons.

Bayern Munich closed in on its fifth trophy of 2013 by beating Guangzhou Evergrande, 3-0, to reach the Club World Cup final. The Champions League winner will face either Atletico Mineiro of Brazil or Moroccan champion Raja Casablanca in Saturday's final. .

LACROSSE Goaltender Devon Wills, an assistant coach for the women's team at Southern California, is the first woman to be selected by a Major League Lacrosse team. The New York Lizards claimed the former Dartmouth star from the player pool.

TENNIS Britain's Andy Murray will play his first competitive tennis match since September in an exhibition tournament next week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Wimbledon champion has been sidelined since surgery for a back problem.

OLYMPICS Men's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling will each lose a weight class between light and heavyweight ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

- Associated Press