– HOCKEY

Pirates forward shines in December to win AHL Player of the Month award

Portland Pirates right wing Brett MacLean was named the AHL Player of the Month for December.

In 13 games, MacLean had 11 goals and five assists with a plus-5 rating. All 11 of his goals came with the score tied or with one team ahead by a goal.

MacLean has 14 goals and 10 assists in 24 games with Portland.

n The Coyotes sent goalie Curtis McElhinney back to the Pirates after activating Mike Smith off injured reserve. McElhinney appeared in two games with the Coyotes, recording his first win last Saturday at Minnesota.

WORLD JUNIORS: Max Friberg scored the winning shootout goal for Sweden, which advanced to the championship goal-medal game with a 3-2 victory over Finland at Calgary, Alberta. Sweden will face Russia on Thursday. Russia beat Canada 6-5 in the other semifinal.

The United States routed Latvia 12-2 in a relegation game.

BASEBALL

MAJORS: Free-agent reliever Robinson Tejeda agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.

n Yu Darvish is visiting Texas for the first time during a 30-day window the AL champion Rangers have to negotiate a contract with the Japanese pitcher.

n Free-agent outfielder Coco Crisp agreed to a two-year contract to return to Oakland.

n A person familiar with the negotiations said infielder Greg Dobbs agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Miami Marlins.

TENNIS

QATAR OPEN: Rafael Nadal struggled past Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3 while defending champion Roger Federer routed Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2 in their season openers.

BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL: Andy Murray shook off some rust and overcame some big returns from Mikhail Kukushkin for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win at Brisbane, Australia, in his first singles match since late November.

SKIING

WORLD CUP: Marlies Schild of Austria stretched her winning streak to five consecutive slalom races, cruising to a victory at Zagreb, Croatia. Schild beat second-place Tina Maze of Slovenia by 1.40 seconds.

SOCCER

MLS: David Beckham is set to stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS after turning down a chance to join Paris Saint-Germain, the French club said.

PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester City moved three points clear at the top by easily dealing with Liverpool 3-0 at Etihad Stadium.

Liverpool was without Luis Suarez, after announcing before kickoff that it will not appeal the eight-match suspension handed to him for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.

—From staff and news services