Team USA Wants Conroy and Miller

The Kings’ Craig Conroy and Aaron Miller have secured spots on the United States’ Olympic hockey team, a source familiar with the Team USA program said.

Conroy, a 34-year-old center, was considered a longshot last summer, but his play this season has impressed Team USA officials. He has displayed considerable offense, with 11 goals and 29 points in 31 games, as well as being a strong defender and penalty killer. He played for Team USA in the 2004 World Cup.

Steady play has landed a spot for Miller, a 34-year-old defenseman, in the Olympics at Turin, Italy. This will be his fifth appearance with Team USA. He was in the 2002 Olympics, the 2001 and 2005 World Championships and the 2004 World Cup.

The Kings’ have two other players under consideration by Team USA, but forward Dustin Brown and defenseman Tim Gleason remain longshots. Jeremy Roenick, who played in the last two Olympics, is no longer on the short list to make the team.

Team USA will be announced next Monday.

At least four other Kings will be in the Olympics, defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky and forward Pavol Demitra with Slovakia, defenseman Mattias Norstrom with Sweden, and forward Alexander Frolov with Russia. Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov, who is playing for Manchester, is also under consideration to play for Russia.

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The Kings will visit Childrens Hospital Los Angeles today to distribute toys donated to the team’s toy drive for pediatric cancer and rehabilitation patients.