ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Newell Brown has been hired for his third stint as an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks announced Brown's return Wednesday. He is the third new assistant added to head coach Dallas Eakins' staff during the offseason.
Brown spent the past four seasons as an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was in charge of the team's power play. He and fellow new assistant Geoff Ward likely will be asked to fix the Ducks' power play, which was the worst unit in modern NHL history last season, scoring on just 8.9% of its chances.
Brown was an assistant with the then-Mighty Ducks from 1998-2000 and again from 2005-10. He was part of Randy Carlyle's staff in 2007 when the Ducks won their only Stanley Cup.
Brown spent two stints as an assistant with the Canucks, including a role on their back-to-back President's Trophy winners in 2011 and 2012.
Anaheim hired veteran coaches Ward and Mike Stothers last month as new assistants to Eakins after the Ducks (17-30-9) finished with the worst record by points percentage in franchise history and the second-worst mark in the NHL.
The Ducks have missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 2002, finishing last in the league in goals twice in that stretch. Eakins and general manager Bob Murray were retained by owner Henry Samueli despite the struggles.
Anaheim has the third overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, its highest selection since 2005.
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