Sports briefs: Avalanche win NHL draft lottery

NHL • The Colorado Avalanche won the NHL draft lottery on Monday in Toronto. The Florida Panthers own the second pick for June's draft, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have the third selection. Colorado had an 18.8 percent chance of winning the lottery after finishing the regular season with a 16-25-7 record, worst in the Western Conference.

The Panthers, who finished last in the NHL with a 15-27-6 mark, had the best odds of winning the lottery at 25 percent but had to settle for the No. 2 pick.

Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones is the No. 1-ranked North American skater, according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.

MLS refereesvote to unionize

soccer • Major League Soccer's referees and their assistants are unionizing. The match officials said Monday in New York that they had voted to certify the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) as their collective bargaining agent in a vote conducted under the rules of the National Labor Relations Board. Referees, linesman and fourth officials are included in the bargaining unit. The Professional Referee Organization (PRO), responsible for managing match officials for MLS, will be required to bargain with PSRA over the terms and conditions of employment.

Ailing Nebraska boy meets Obama

college football • The 7-year-old cancer patient who became an Internet sensation for his touchdown run in Nebraska's spring football game has yet another fan — President Barack Obama. Jack Hoffman, his family and former Cornhuskers running back Rex Burkhead visited Obama for 15 minutes in the Oval Office on Monday. Obama presented Jack with a new football and told him he was proud of him.

Burkhead, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, befriended Jack shortly after the boy was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2011. Their friendship led to the "Team Jack" campaign, which has raised awareness and funds for research.

From wire reports