In Brief

PRO HOCKEY

Sharks captain Blake to announce retirement

San Jose Sharks captain Rob Blake is retiring from the NHL after a 20-year career as one of the league's top defensemen.

Blake, 40, will make the retirement official at a news conference on Friday, a person with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.

Blake's decision is not a surprise. He hinted at it after the Sharks were swept in the Western Conference finals by the Chicago Blackhawks last month. He said at the time he had decided his future plans but wanted to wait a few weeks before announcing it.

Blake was one of the league's best defensemen over his career with Los Angeles, Colorado and San Jose, making seven All-Star teams and winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman for Los Angeles in 1998.

Also: Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows had surgery on his shoulder to repair damage sustained during the NHL season.

Burrows led the Canucks with 35 goals during the regular season, but scored just three times during the playoffs -- twice into an empty net.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new captain -- 25-year-old defenseman Dion Phaneuf.

The team hasn't had a captain since Mats Sundin left the club in the summer of 2008.

MOTOR SPORTS

Dixon wins Top Fuel title at NHRA SuperNationals

Larry Dixon raced to his sixth Top Fuel victory of the season at the rain-delayed NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, N.J.

Bob Tasca, Mike Edwards and Michael Phillips also won their divisions in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Dixon drove his dragster to a 3.824-second run at 320.05 mph for his 54th career victory. He beat Antron Brown, who finished second for the second straight year after his dragster lost traction midway through the run.

Tasca took the Funny Car final. Edwards won his third straight Pro Stock race. Phillips took first in the Pro Stock Motorcycle.

MISCELLANEOUS

Oklahoma, Clemson set for College World Series

The field for the College World Series is set, with Oklahoma and Clemson winning best-of-3 NCAA Super Regionals to advance.

The Sooners (49-16) beat host Virginia 11-0, while the Tigers (43-23) beat visiting Alabama, 8-6.

The other six teams in the field are Arizona State, Florida, Florida State, South Carolina, Texas Christian and UCLA.

The Series in Omaha, Neb., begins Saturday.

Also: Top-seeded Justine Henin made a successful return to grass after a three-year absence, beating Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Unicef Open in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Henin's last match on the surface was a loss in the 2007 Wimbledon semifinals.

Leading scorer and rebounder Candace Parker dislocated her left shoulder and is day to day for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

Parker was injured in the first half of Sunday's win against Minnesota.

Les Richter, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection for the Los Angeles Rams who became a top NASCAR executive after retiring from the NFL, died Saturday in Riverside, Calif. He was 79.