Bruins add Benning, Houda, Smith to staff

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli continued to mold his administration yesterday, announcing he had added Jim Benning as director of player personnel, Doug Houda as an assistant coach, and Wayne Smith as a regional scout.

``These men are all quality individuals who bring experience and knowledge to our organization," said Chiarelli in a statement. ``Jim has a complete background as an NHL player, a regional scout, and he has directed a scouting department for many years. Doug played 15 seasons in the NHL and has three solid years as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League. Wayne has spent 14 years covering the Ontario region and brings a tremendous familiarity with that area to our scouting department."

Benning, 43, who makes his home in Portland, Ore., has spent the last nine seasons as director of amateur scouting for the Buffalo Sabres, overseeing the team's efforts during the draft. He started with Buffalo in 1994 as an amateur scout and was in that role for four seasons before being promoted. During his playing career as a defenseman, which lasted nine seasons with Toronto and Vancouver, he scored 52 goals and had 191 assists in 605 games. He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the first round (No. 6 overall) in 1981.

Houda, 40, spent the last three years as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans, Buffalo's AHL affiliate. He retired as a player in 2003 after spending his final season as Rochester's captain. He, too, is a former NHL defenseman, having played 15 seasons with Buffalo, Detroit, Hartford, the New York Islanders, Los Angeles, and Anaheim. He had 19 goals, 63 assists and 1,104 penalty minutes in 561 games.

Smith joins the Bruins after seven years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he scouted Ontario and Quebec. Before that, he was a scout for seven years with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario League, three as the chief scout and one as director of player personnel.