Miller Gets Tough Break

On the eve of tonight’s home game against NHL scoring leader Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Kings learned Friday that they could be without one of their top defensemen for a month or more.

Aaron Miller, who sat out the season’s first 13 games after abdominal surgery, is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks after suffering a broken left foot in the third period of Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over the Dallas Stars.

“That’s a huge blow,” forward Bryan Smolinski said Friday after practice. “He’s a huge part of our team, but we’re going to have to try to fill his spot.”

Filling his spot on the roster will be rookie Joe Corvo, who was the leading scorer among American Hockey League defensemen before his recall Friday.

Barring an improbable return by injured defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, Corvo, 25, is expected to make his NHL debut tonight. The Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs’ most valuable player last season, Corvo was tied for the club lead with 26 points in 26 games this season and had continued to play after his Nov. 13 arrest in Boston for allegedly sexually assaulting and attacking a woman in a bar.

Despite the allegations against Corvo, who is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Jan. 10 in Boston Municipal Court, King Coach Andy Murray said the club had “no reservations” in recalling the 6-foot-1 defenseman.

Said General Manager Dave Taylor: “We’re looking on this as a hockey decision. What’s gone on outside of the rink is a private matter.”

X-rays taken Wednesday of Miller’s injured foot were negative, but he was unable to walk on it Thursday. X-rays taken Friday revealed a broken foot.

“It’s pretty tough to just start feeling like myself again and then get hurt again,” said Miller, in the last year of his contract.