Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

NHL briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 15, 2000

Slump leads Mighty Ducks to fire coach

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Craig Hartsburg was fired as coach of the Mighty Ducks on Thursday and replaced by assistant Guy Charron.

Hartsburg, 41, became the Ducks coach on July 21, 1998, and compiled an 80-85-29-3 record in 21/2 seasons after replacing Pierre Page. He also coached the Blackhawks from 1995-98.

This season, the Ducks are a disappointing 11-15-4-3 and 5-12-3-1 in their past 21. Anaheim is in last place in the Pacific Division, nine points behind first-place San Jose.

"As the tension and frustrations on the club mounted, you get to start thinking about it," general manager Pierre Gauthier said. "This is not something I really wanted to do, no disrespect to Guy. But you come to feel you have to do something to jump-start your club.

"I believe at this time, having a very qualified person like Guy around who knows the team very well, it was the right thing to do."

The Ducks went 34-36-12-3 last season and were swept by Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.

Charron, 51, was hired in June and will serve as coach at least through the end of the season.

Before joining Anaheim, Charron spent the previous two seasons as coach of Grand Rapids of the International Hockey League. His teams went 85-62-17.

He was IHL coach of the year last season after leading the Griffins to a 51-22-9 record and a berth in the Turner Cup final.

Charron was an assistant with the Flames from 1990-95, and the Islanders from 1995-97. He served as Calgary's coach for the final 16 games of the 1991-92 season, going 6-7-3.

Before joining the Flames, Charron spent five years with Hockey Canada. He was the director of player personnel and assistant coach from 1985-88, and assistant general manager and assistant coach from 1988-90.

In January 1990, Charron was coach of the Canadian national junior team, which won the gold medal in Helsinki, Finland.

BLUE JACKETS: Right wing Mike Maneluk was recalled from Chicago of the IHL and center Chris Nielsen from Syracuse of the AHL. Maneluk, 27, sidelined since Nov. 9 by an ankle injury, scored an AHL-best 47 goals last season for Philadelphia.

OILERS: Defenseman Igor Ulanov was suspended for two games without pay for cross-checking Dallas' Brenden Morrow on Wednesday. Ulanov was called for a major penalty for cross-checking Morrow in the back of the head in the third period of the Stars' 5-2 victory. Ulanov will forfeit $11,765 in pay.

Thursday's games

CAPITALS 2, WILD 1: Sergei Gonchar and Peter Bondra scored second-period goals as host Washington moved above .500 for the first time this season.

Last season, the slow-starting Capitals didn't have a winning record until Jan. 16, but they went on to win the Southeast Division title. This season, the Caps started even slower, but they have won eight of their past 10 to move atop the Southeast.

Olaf Kolzig made 28 saves to improve to 8-1 over his past nine starts. He had to work harder than expected against the expansion Wild, who took advantage of generous giveaways for a pair of two-on-one short-handed breaks and other quality scoring chances before Aaron Gavey averted the shutout in the third.

Adam Oates supplied the assist on both Capitals goals, despite getting a bloody nose from a puck in the face between the two scores. Oates was behind the net when he fed Gonchar at 7:11 of the second, then passed to Bondra for a blue-line, one-timer on a power play at 16:19.

SENATORS 4, FLAMES 2: Rookie Martin Havlat, in his first game back after missing eight games with a separated shoulder, had his first career two-goal game and host Ottawa snapped Calgary's three-game winning streak.

The Senators won their third straight and sixth in seven games to move into a tie with idle Toronto for the Eastern Conference lead. Both have 40 points in 30 games.

"I was glad to play my first game after the injury," Havlat said. "We played like a team and I scored two goals -- that's something new for me. I had good luck tonight."

Radek Bonk scored one minute into the first period, and Havlat put the Senators ahead 2-0 at 9:42.

Corey Stillman scored his 11th goal on a power play late in the period to cut the lead to 2-1 before Havlat restored Ottawa's two-goal lead with his eighth goal -- an unassisted effort -- 3:42 into the second.

The 19-year-old native of the Czech Republic nearly scored his third moments later when goalie Fred Brathwaite was forced to make a pad save on Havlat's shot from the slot.

OILERS 6, PREDATORS 2: Doug Weight had a goal and two assists and Tommy Salo made 36 saves as visiting Edmonton snapped a two-game losing streak.

Weight has points in nine of Edmonton's past 11 games. Ryan Smyth and Jason Smith added a pair of assists.

Nashville is 1-5-1 in its past seven, and has been outscored 24-10 in that span.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright