The Kings have made their decision.
The Los Angeles Kings have decided who they want to be their next head coach.
Interim boss Jim Hiller is expected to be named the full-time HC by the end of Wednesday on a multi-year deal, as reported by Pierre LeBrun. It’s not finalized quite yet, but the move is on the verge of being done.
Hiller took over for Todd McClellan in early February after he was fired following a tough January. Hiller led the Kings to a 21-12-1 record and an appearance in the playoffs, although they lost for the third straight year to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The 54-year-old initially joined the organization as an assistant in the summer of 2022. He’s never had a full-time head coaching job, previously serving as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders.
This decision would come just one day after the Leafs hired their new coach in Craig Berube. Hiller will join Vancouver Canucks HC Rick Tocchet and Minnesota Wild boss John Hynes as the latest interim coach to get a full-time gig and also secure a multi-year deal.
Hiller didn’t have much of a playing career in the NHL but he quickly got into coaching in the early 2000s, mostly in the WHL. That eventually led to opportunities at the professional level. With over 10 years of experience as an assistant, Hiller is due for this opportunity.
Kings coming off underwhelming season
Los Angeles barely got into the playoffs with a 44-27-11 record and has now failed to get past the first round every year since winning it all in 2014. They’ve also missed the playoffs altogether in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
It’s clear the Kings needed a change behind their bench after McClellan’s four-and-a-half-year tenure that didn’t exactly consist of success. The core of this roster will almost certainly be back in 2024-25, including the likes of Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Drew Doughty, among others.
Hiller will have the same group of players to work with in the always-competitive Pacific Division, but it remains to be seen if he can get them over the hump when it comes to the playoffs. McClellan couldn’t so the Kings will be hoping Hiller is capable of doing so.
One thing has become clear, though. The Kings need some more youth on their roster because a lot of these veterans aren’t exactly young anymore. Pierre-Luc Dubois is one player who has to be let go after his tough 2023-24 campaign and his hefty contract.
There’s also been heavy criticism of the Kings’ 1-3-1 system that initially seemed to work. But now, it’s clearly not helping Los Angeles win hockey games. We’ll see if Hiller moves away from it.
The Kings have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but locking down a permanent boss was a big one. They’ve got it done.
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