Charron Gets His Ducks in Order, Hiring Miller and Promoting Simpson

The Ducks completed the shuffling of their coaching staff that began when Craig Hartsburg was fired Dec. 14. New Coach Guy Charron hired Kelly Miller, a former NHL player, as an assistant. Terry Simpson was given the new title of associate coach.

“I need people with lots of energy around me,” said Charron, who hired Miller as a player/assistant coach last season while with Grand Rapids of the International Hockey League.

“His brother, Kevin, was playing with us last year and he asked if he could come watch our practices. He had been watching Michigan State and wanted to get a feel for the pro game. We had some injuries and we talked him into playing.”

Miller, 37, played 1,057 NHL games, including a club-record 940 for the Washington Capitals. He was the New York Rangers’ ninth-round pick in the 1982 draft. He will join the Ducks for their Dec. 27 game against the Dallas Stars.

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Charron changed his defense pairs for Friday’s 2-1 overtime loss against Detroit. Charron kept Ruslan Salei and Vitaly Vishnevski together, but Oleg Tverdovsky played with Jason Marshall and Mike Crowley played with Niclas Havelid.

Pascal Trepanier and Pavel Trnka were healthy scratches.

TONIGHT

at St. Louis

5 PST, Channel 9

* Site--Savvis Center.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 13-16-4-4, Blues 22-4-4-0.

* Record vs. Blues--0-2.

* Update--The Blues are on a 9-0-1 streak. Their last loss was Nov. 21 against the Vancouver Canucks. The Blues defeated the Ducks, 1-0, Dec. 5 at St. Louis and by 5-1 Oct. 8 at Anaheim. St. Louis has given up a league-low 59 goals.