SKATE AWAY, THAT'S ALL: FEDOROV "HAPPY" NIKE DEAL IS OVER

          Red Wings C Sergei Fedorov has "parted with Nike and
     says he is happy the arrangement is over," according to
     Helene St. James of the DETROIT FREE PRESS, who writes that
     Fedorov "never really felt comfortable" in Nike skates since
     he signed a four-year deal with the company in '96.  Fedorov
     said Nike "decided to go in a different way and terminated
     the contract.  But everything ended up on good terms. ... I
     guess Nike just made a business decision, because as far as
     I'm concerned, I helped that company out a lot with
     equipment, certainly skates."  Fedorov added the skates Nike
     "offered" him in April before the NHL playoffs were a
     "totally different sort of boot compared to my white skates.
     ... As far as I'm concerned, the company wasn't doing good." 
     Fedorov will return to wearing Graff skates, the brand he
     wore before his Nike deal (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 9/16).