Los Angeles Kings hire Peter Laviolette as head coach

The Los Angeles Kings have hired veteran coach Peter Laviolette to be their new head coach, according to multiple reports on Monday, June 8. The team has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with the 61-year-old, who will become the seventh NHL franchise he has led.

Laviolette was also a finalist for the head coaching vacancies with the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs before accepting the Los Angeles position. He inherits a Kings team that has reached the postseason for four consecutive years but has been eliminated in the first round in each of the last five seasons, including a sweep by the Colorado Avalanche this past spring.

The hiring concludes a coaching search that began in March when the Kings fired Jim Hiller as the team risked missing the playoffs. Interim coach D.J. Smith then guided the team to an 11-6 stretch to secure a playoff berth before the first-round exit. Laviolette now takes over a franchise in transition following the retirement of longtime captain Anže Kopitar, who was a central figure in the Kings' Stanley Cup championships in 2014 and 2016.

With a career record of 846-562-161 over 23 seasons, Laviolette brings extensive experience and a...