Mike Dantons attempt to continue his hockey career in England is on hold after border officials refused to grant him an entry visa. The former NHLer, who served more than five years in a U.S. prison for a failed murder-for-hire plot, had his visa application rejected last week, the Coventry Blaze announced Monday. The team, which plays in the Elite Ice Hockey League, said Danton plans to submit a secondary application to the UK Border Agency. The Blaze called on officials to view that "sympathetically" because of the positive steps taken by Danton since his release from prison in 2009. "Mike would be a huge asset both on and off the ice," the team said on its website. "He is an outstanding example of an individual who has turned his life around in recent years. ... There are so many positive reasons why we believe Mike deserves to be granted his visa." Danton and team officials wont make any further comment until a decision is made on the secondary application, according to the Blaze. The 31-year-old Danton returned to pro hockey last season -- splitting his time between teams in Sweden and the Czech Republic -- following two years at Saint Marys University in Halifax, where he helped the Huskies win a national championship in 2010 and was named an academic all-Canadian because of a straight-A average. nba holdjersey . "I have spoken directly with Lubomir, and am pleased to report that he did not suffer any serious injuries," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow in a statement. nfl holdjersey . -- Chris Wilson won the Price Cutter Charity Championship on Sunday for his first Web. http://www.holdjersey.com/ . The left-hander takes the mound for the third installment of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Catch all the action on TSN2 beginning at 8pm et/5pm pt. Friday night, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history and yesterday afternoon R. wholesale jerseys . Hernandez suffered the injury running out a ground-rule double against the San Francisco Giants on Monday night. An initial MRI was inconclusive but a second MRI on Wednesday revealed a tear. cheap jerseys .S. mens Olympic basketball team beat Britain 118-78 on Thursday in an exhibition game. LeBron James added 16 points and Russell Westbrook had 15 for the Americans, who built a 40-point lead early in the fourth quarter against their inexperienced and overmatched opponent, and every basket from there seemed to be a dunk.BARCELONA, Spain - Milos Raonics run on the red clay at the Barcelona Open is over. The hard-serving Canadian fell 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5) to David Ferrer on Saturday as the Spaniard advanced to his fourth final at the tournament. "I played a good match and really tried on my opportunities," said Raonic, who lost three times for Ferrer last season. "He was too good when it mattered. Thats what makes him a great player who has beaten me every time weve played." The third-seeded Ferrer will face six-time champion and fellow countryman Rafael Nadal in Sundays final. Nadal beat 2010 winner Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-4 in the other semifinal. "Im very happy to make my fourth final," Ferrer said. "I have a special relationship with this tournament. I hope I can fulfil my dream of finally winning here." The 21-year-old Raonic, ranked 25th in the world, hit 15 aces against Ferrer, displaying the same massive serve that led to his upset of Andy Murray in the quarter-finals. But Ferrer, sixth in the ATP rankings, worked his Canadian opponent around the clay court with well placed ground strokes and proved the better finisher in the two tiebreakers. Down 3-1 in the second-set tiebreaker, the sixth-ranked Ferrer fought back and claimed the match in just over two hours with a superb return that clipped the sideline. "It was very difficult to beat him," said the 30-year-old Ferrer. "We both had our chances. It was a question of winning or losing the key points." Ferrer, who has won three titles already this season, has lost the three previous finals here to Nadal. Raonic, who grew up in Thornhill, Ont., was bidding for a breakthrough after a positive week in the city where he trains with Spanish coach Galo Blanco. "I feel my game is really improving, which I credit to improved mental toughness," Raonic said. "Thats responsible for 90 per ceent of my success.dddddddddddd" A ruthless Nadal dominated from the start against Verdasco, winning 21 of 27 points to steal his opponents first three service games and set him on his way to his 33rd straight win at the competition. "Rafa is the best clay-court player ever," said Ferrer. "He has beaten me three times in the finals here. I hope tomorrow is different." Verdasco, who won here in 2010 when Nadal sat out the tournament he has otherwise dominated since 2005, barely offered resistance as the worlds second-ranked player hit winner after winner. Nadal ran off seven straight points to open the match, breaking Verdascos first service game with an intimidating smash. "I began the first set very strong, and getting the first break gave me a lot of confidence," Nadal said. "He also made some errors early on which helped me." Verdasco dropped his second service game when his volley fell wide, and Nadal kept pressing, not dropping a point in the fourth game to race out to an insurmountable lead as light rain began to fall. Down a set, Verdasco showed some fight and had a chance to break the favourite early, but Nadal won three straight points with strong serves to hold on. But Verdasco faltered in the fifth game when after saving three break points he committed a costly double fault to fall behind for good at 3-2. Nadal improved to 13-0 all time against Verdasco and predicted a close final. "David is always tough. He is a rival you never want to face," Nadal said. "I wish him the best. Well... not for tomorrow, but for the rest of the season." Meanwhile in doubles, Torontos Daniel Nestor and partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus lost in the semifinals to Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-3, 0-6, 10-6 of Poland. Nestor is a four-time doubles champion in Barcelona. — With files from The Associated Press ' ' '