Ducks GM Murray resigns, plans to enter alcohol treatment program

ANAHEIM — Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray resigned a day after he was placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into his workplace conduct.

Murray plans to enter a treatment program for alcohol abuse, the team and Murray said in a statement.

The 66-year-old Murray has been with the organization since 2005 and has run its hockey operations since November 2008, the third-longest active tenure for a GM in the NHL.

A person with knowledge of the Ducks’ front office told The Associated Press that the initial complaints against Murray prompting the investigation all involved verbal abuse of team employees.

“I want to apologize to anyone adversely affected by my behavior,” Murray said. “I vow to make changes to my life, starting with enrolling in a treatment program . ... As I step away from the Ducks, I will focus my attention on where it should be: improving my life for the betterment of my family and friends.”

Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli will pay for Murray’s treatment program, the AP source said.

Jeff Solomon, who joined the Ducks’ front office in May, will be Anaheim’s interim general manager while the club seeks a permanent replacement, the Samuelis said in a statement. Solomon, a longtime employee of the Los Angeles Kings and a former player agent, will be in charge until the conclusion of a “methodical, extensive” search, which could last until the offseason next summer.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State is sticking with Conference USA after the league announced the addition of four new members starting in 2023.

President Sidney McPhee said in a statement posted on the school website that they’ve watched the Division I landscape for athletics change in the past several weeks. McPhee said MTSU appreciated the interest that other conferences showed in its program.

That same day, C-USA announced Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State and Sam Houston State as new members starting in 2023. McPhee said that gives the league a strong footprint in the South and Southwest.

MLB

LOS ANGELES — Free agent lefthander Andrew Heaney and the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized their $8.5 million, one-year contract, filling a hole in the team’s pitching staff.

Heaney can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 100, 125, 150 and 175 innings. The 30-year-old split 2021 between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees, going 8-9 with a 5.83 ERA.