RECURRENCE OF CANCER SIDELINES CUNNIFF AGAIN.(SPORTS)

Byline: TOM CANAVAN Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Recently fired coach Larry Robinson is returning to the New Jersey Devils as an assistant coach while John Cunniff undergoes treatment for a recurrence of throat cancer.

Cunniff, who became an assistant under Kevin Constantine when Robinson was fired on Jan. 28, spent the past two weeks as an assistant coach for Herb Brooks and the silver medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. Cunniff is a former River Rats coach.

Devils president Lou Lamoriello said Cunniff was told about the cancer before the Olympics, and that he wanted to go to Salt Lake City, anyway.

``That's the way he …