Sports briefs

Former Gophers star Potulny is traded to the Oilers The Philadelphia Flyers traded former Gopher Ryan Potulny to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday for defenseman Danny Syvret.

Potulny had one assist in seven games for the Flyers this season. He also had 21 goals and 47 points for the Flyers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms.

"Ryan was a good player for our organization, but this was a deal based on a need, as we added depth to our defense," Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said.

Syvret has an assist and 12 penalty minutes in 26 NHL games over two seasons.

• William (Boots) Del Biaggio III, who owns a stake in the NHL's Nashville Predators, has filed for personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy just weeks after being accused of loan fraud.

One known outstanding debt is $10 million that Del Biaggio has said he owed to Craig Leipold, the Predators' former owner who sold the franchise to Del Biaggio's group in August for $193 million. Leipold went on to buy the Wild.

• Anaheim Ducks General Manager Brian Burke, from Edina, will serve as general manager of the U.S. hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and Nashville Predators GM David Poile will be the associate GM, USA Hockey announced.

Steroid dealer's death believed a suicide Authorities said Friday that a convicted steroids dealer who claimed to have sold drugs to pro football players killed himself, and the mother of a woman found dead in his home said she believes he killed her, too.

The Dallas County medical examiner ruled 35-year-old David Jacobs' shooting death a suicide, but police in the Dallas suburb of Plano aren't saying whether he shot his on-again, off-again girlfriend.

Jacobs was sentenced to three years probation and fined $25,000 on May 1 after pleading guilty last year in federal court in Dallas to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids. He met twice with NFL security officials and gave them names of players he said bought steroids from him.

Heptathlete killed in crash BYU freshman heptathlete Chelsi Petersen was killed in a car crash early Friday in Provo Canyon, Utah.

Former BYU sprinter Paul Smith, the driver of the car, was hospitalized in serious condition.

• The Clark County (Nev.) coroner says former UNLV basketball player Frank (Spoon) James died of natural causes at the Las Vegas city jail. James, 45, was being held on traffic warrant charges after a routine traffic stop. The coroner says James died of heart ailments.

• Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan was given a $225,000 raise, increasing his salary to $1.175 million.

Mayweather retires Unbeaten welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his retirement. Mayweather, a 31-year-old Olympic bronze medalist who has won belts in five weight classes, was 39-0 with 25 knockouts.

• Former boxing champ Thomas (Hitman) Hearns owes the federal government more than a quarter-million dollars in unpaid income taxes, according to liens filed in Oakland County (Mich.). Hearns, 49, reportedly is working with the Internal Revenue Service to resolve the matter.

Liberty beats Comets Shameka Christon scored 19 points and rookie Leilani Mitchell added 18 to help the New York Liberty hold off the Houston Comets 81-73 in New York. Former Gopher Janel McCarville scored 10 for the Liberty ... Jia Perkins and Dominique Canty each scored 16 points as Chicago beat Atlanta 85-72 in Atlanta. ... Becky Hammon scored 20 points as San Antonio beat visiting Washington 63-52. ... Katie Smith scored 30 points as visiting Detroit beat Sacramento 84-70. ... Diana Taurasi scored 29 points and Cappie Pondexter 28 as Phoenix beat host Los Angeles 85-79.

Track and field: Justin Gatlin's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on doping charges was rejected Friday, three weeks before the United States holds its track trials. The panel upheld the four-year ban given to the 26-year-old sprinter earlier this year.

FROM NEWS SERVICES