Indictment for Blues’ Danton

St. Louis forward Mike Danton and a woman were indicted Thursday in Illinois on federal charges they schemed to kill an acquaintance of the player.

The counts mirror those of a criminal complaint filed in East St. Louis, Ill., against Danton and Katie Wolfmeyer, accusing the two of conspiring to hire a hit man and of using a telephone across state lines to set it up.

Danton, 23, was arrested Friday in San Jose, a day after the Blues were eliminated from the playoffs by the Sharks.

Federal authorities said Danton tried to pay $10,000 for the murder of an unidentified acquaintance at Danton’s suburban St. Louis apartment. The men argued April 13 over Danton’s “promiscuity and use of alcohol,” and Danton feared the acquaintance would talk to St. Louis management and ruin Danton’s career, authorities said.

Wolfmeyer, 19, apparently was unaware the supposed contract killer she allegedly was helping hire was secretly working with the FBI.

Media accounts, quoting unnamed law enforcement sources, said that Danton’s agent, David Frost, perhaps was the target of the scheme, but Ronald Tenpas, the U.S. attorney for Illinois’ southern district, would not comment on that part of the investigation.

“We are not identifying the acquaintance by name,” Tenpas said, citing the potential victim’s privacy.

Wolfmeyer made her initial appearance Monday in federal court in East St. Louis, Ill., then was freed on $100,000 bond and scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 30.

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Ottawa fired Coach Jacques Martin, two days after the Senators were eliminated from the playoffs by Toronto.

Martin was the Senators’ coach for 8 1/2 seasons, the longest tenure in the league. Lindy Ruff, who has been with Buffalo since the 1997-98 season, now has the longest tenure.

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Scott Gomez of New Jersey withdrew from the U.S. team that will compete in the world championships. The forward cited personal reasons. The world championships begin Saturday in the Czech Republic.

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NHL goals leader Rick Nash of Columbus will not play for Canada at the world championships after having minor surgery for a severe throat infection.