COLORADO SPRINGS, March 28 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Lightning Coach John Tortorella has been selected to coach the U.S. men's national ice hockey team at the 2008 World Championships.

Tortorella, 49, coached the Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004 but the team has already been eliminated from NHL playoff contention this season. Over five NHL seasons, his teams have a 196-153-35 record. The 196 victories are an NHL record for a U.S.-born coach.

He was an associate coach for the U.S. team during the 2005 world championships.

"We're certainly pleased to have someone with John Tortorella's credentials coaching our world championship team," said Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey. "He's had a lot of success in his career, including winning the Stanley Cup, and knows what it takes to win at the highest level."

"I'm honored to be selected," said Tortorella. "It truly is an honor to represent our country and I look forward to the opportunity."

The hockey world championships are scheduled for May 2-18 in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Quebec City.

Report: Oden angers Portland officials

PORTLAND, Ore., March 28 (UPI) -- Last year's No. 1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden of Portland has angered team officials by playing in a pickup game while he recovers from a knee surgery.

A report Friday by The Oregonian, a Portland, Ore., newspaper, said the team learned that the 7-footer participated in a pickup game Wednesday night in Tualatin, Ore.

He won't play in an NBA game this season but on March 14 practiced for the first time since his knee surgery in September.

At that time, he also worked one-on-one with assistant coach Maurice Lucas and even got in a couple of dunks, but his lone clearance was for light drills with the Trail Blazers and a probable return before the team's training camp for next season.

"We heard about that, and I talked to him," Portland Coach Nate McMillan told The Oregonian. "I let him know he can't do that. We have plenty of workout equipment and gym space at our facility."

Report: Liverpool co-owners split

LONDON, March 28 (UPI) -- George Gillett, co-owner of the Liverpool, England, soccer team, says his relationship with fellow co-owner Tom Hicks is "unworkable."

In an interview, Gillett told The Guardian that their relationship has been "unworkable for some time", and that the two have parted.

The report said that Gillett is expected to sell his 50 percent stake in the club as soon as a suitable buyer is found.

Gillette said that Hicks "dragged his feet," when he proposed to sell his 50 percent share to a Texas billionaire.

"We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out," Gillette said.

He and Hicks will repackage the controversial loans they took out last year to share ownership after Gillette was unable to buy the team himself.

In a separate interview with radio station Fan590 in Canada, Gillette said that his family has received "death threats in phone calls in the middle of the night."

Back injury could sideline Elliott Sadler

MARTINSVILLE, Va., March 28 (UPI) -- A painful lower back injury could force Elliott Sadler to miss Sunday's Sprint Cup Goody's Cool Orange 500 in Martinsville, Va.

Sadler was injured during a workout earlier this week and undisclosed sources told NASCAR.com on Friday that he re-aggravated the injury while playing golf on Wednesday.

"We really don''t know too much detail about the nature of the injury other than just that it's lower back and it seems to be involving a lot of nerve damage," said Mark McArdle, vice president of competition for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Sadler's sponsor. "It will be Elliott's call. Right now our inclination will be to begin practice with (backup) Dennis (Setzer). I don't think anything is assured at this point."

McArdle said the team hopes to have Sadler participate briefly in a 90-minute practice session and possibly qualify the car for Sunday's race.

Sadler is 20th in the Sprint Cup points standings, 274 points behind leader Kyle Busch.