Pete Peeters, who was caught up in the Edmonton Oilers coaching purge, has found a new job as the Anaheim Ducks goalie instructor.

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Peeters, who worked for the Oilers for eight years before they chose to not rehire him in mid-June, is replacing the estimable Francois Allaire.

"I wasn't getting anxious (about a new job). I was collecting myself and deciding whether I wanted to continue in hockey or take a breather," said Peeters, who had an interview with the Ducks at the NHL entry draft.

Peeters has some history with Ducks coach Randy Carlyle. They both worked for the Winnipeg Jets in the mid-'90s after Carlyle finished his National Hockey League career as a defenceman there.

"He was an assistant coach with Perry Pearn, I was the goalie coach and Terry Simpson was head coach," said Peeters. "I enjoyed my time with Randy. He taught me a lot."

Peeters, who turns 52 on Saturday, also had a stint as goalie coach with the Minnesota North Stars, as well as with the Phoenix Coyotes.

He was replaced in Edmonton by Hockey Canada's Frederic Chabot.

Ironically, Peeters is leaving the Oilers just as Nikolai Khabibulin is joining the team.

"Nick and I were in Winnipeg and Phoenix," Peeters said. "He's a workhorse. The more he plays, the better he is."

Allaire, who taught a young Patrick Roy the butterfly style, is now the goalie coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he reunited with his old Ducks GM Brian Burke.

In Anaheim, Allaire worked wonders with J. S. Giguere and Swissborn Jonas Hiller in Anaheim.

Peeters faces a United Nations of goalies in the Ducks organization. Besides the two goalies in Anaheim, the Ducks also have Igor Bobkov, a Russian who was drafted in the third round earlier this summer; Mattias Modig, a Swede; and Timo Pielmeier, a German.

Rollie Melanson of the Montreal Canadiens, David Marcoux of the Calgary Flames, Reggie Lemelin of the Philadelphia Flyers, Jeff Hackett of the Colorado Avalanche and Pierre Groulx of the Florida Panthers were other NHL goalie tutors released this summer.

ON THE BENCH: As of Monday, NHL sources say the Oilers have yet to run out of patience with winger Dany Heatley and haven't called Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray to pull out of their trade, a month after Heatley rejected their offer.

jmatheson@thejournal.canwest.com