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Hockey

Newspaper: Gretzky will coach Coyotes

Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer, will be the new coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, The Arizona Republic reported on its Web site Sunday.

Gretzky, the team's managing partner, is expected to be introduced as coach today, multiple NHL sources told the paper. ESPN.com also reported the story later Sunday.

Team spokesman Rich Nairn told The Associated Press he could not confirm the story. He said the team had no events scheduled for today.

There has been speculation for several months that Gretzky would move from the Coyotes' front office to their bench. But the nine-time MVP had said he would wait until a new collective bargaining agreement was in place before deciding whether to coach.

The newspaper also reported that former Detroit assistant coach Barry Smith would be one of Gretzky's assistants.

Former Coyotes player Rick Tocchet or interim head coach Rick Bowness will be Gretzky's other assistant, according to the reports.

Gretzky, who is the final year of a five-year contract with the club, is a longtime friend of Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett. Barnett said the day after the new NHL collective bargaining agreement was reached last month that Gretzky was very interested in the position.

- In Raleigh, N.C., Ray Whitney signed a two-year contract with Carolina, giving the Hurricanes a two-time All-Star who has topped 60 points in five of his last seven seasons.

The 33-year-old left wing is joining his sixth NHL team. He has scored more than 20 goals in a season five times, setting a career high with 33 in 1997-98 with Edmonton and Florida. He was chosen for the All-Star game in 2000 and 2003.

Tennis

Roddick tops Blake to win Legg Mason

In Washington, top-seeded Andy Roddick defeated James Blake, 7-5, 6-3 to win the Legg Mason Tennis Classic championship.

Roddick, who also won in Washington in 2001, took advantage of costly errors by Blake in the clinching game of the first set, then rode the momentum to his fourth title of the year.

Blake, the 2002 champion, won three straight games to tie the first set at 4-4. Roddick took a 6-5 lead with his powerful service game, then clinched the set when the unseeded American first hit a volley into the net, and then was long on an overhand.

- In Sopot, Poland, France's Gael Monfils won his first ATP title, capturing the Idea Prokom Open by defeating Germany's Florian Mayer, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-5 in a match between unseeded players. The 18-year-old Monfils, a former No. 1 junior player, is ranked No. 65 and appearing in his first ATP final.

Auto Racing

Truex Jr. holds off Bowyer at Kroger

In Clermont, Ind., faster in the pits, faster on the track, Martin Truex Jr. held off Clint Bowyer on a final two-lap shootout Saturday night to win the Kroger 200, his sixth NASCAR Busch Series victory of the season.

The rain-interrupted race was scheduled for 200 laps, but a late crash kept it going under yellow while the track was cleared. The green finally came out after 202 laps, and Truex pulled away to victory, padding his lead over Bowyer in the series standings. Pole-winner Reed Sorenson, a rookie who won in St. Louis a week earlier, finished third.

X Games

Henry, Way take honors on final day

In Carson, Calif., Doug Henry coasted to an easy victory in supermoto, and Danny Way flew to another skateboard big air title as the X Games wrapped up with a dip in overall attendance.

Jeremy McGrath of Encinitas was second and Chad Reed of Dade City, Fla., was third.

The nation's biggest action sports competition ended its four-day run with attendance down from last year. About 122,000 people showed up at the four venues, compared to 170,000 last year.