Laviolette to Kings
Peter Laviolette Reportedly Set to Become Los Angeles Kings' Next Head Coach, Per AP Source
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Peter Laviolette will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations who told The Associated Press. The 61-year-old veteran, who spent the 2025–26 season out of hockey after being fired by the New York Rangers, is set to take over his seventh NHL franchise.
The deal ends a coaching search triggered by the Kings' fifth straight first-round playoff exit — this time a sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche in May 2026. General Manager Ken Holland, hired just over a year ago, chose Laviolette over interim coach D.J. Smith, who had gone 11-6-6 to close out the season, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
Laviolette Brings 846 Wins and a Stanley Cup Pedigree
Laviolette is one of the most decorated coaches in NHL history. He has 846 career wins — seventh all-time — and 1,594 games coached, ninth all-time, per The Associated Press. He has reached the Stanley Cup Final with three different franchises: the Carolina Hurricanes, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Nashville Predators. He won the Cup with Carolina in 2006.
That resume is exactly what Holland was looking for. Holland said publicly in May 2026 that while Smith did a "great job" as interim, the team's special teams were broken — ranking 28th on the power play and dead last (30th) on the penalty kill, per NHL.com. A 74.6% penalty kill rate was the worst in the league. Holland wanted, in his words, "a more experienced voice."
Jim Hiller Fired After Record-Setting Collapse in 2025–26
The path to this hire started on March 1, 2026. Holland fired head coach Jim Hiller after back-to-back blowout losses — an 8-1 defeat to Edmonton and a 6-4 loss to Vegas. Smith, an associate coach, stepped in as interim for the rest of the year. The Kings limped to a 35-27-20 record and set an NHL record with 19 overtime losses in a single season, per Wikipedia.
Critics blamed Hiller's conservative style for holding back offensive stars. The Kings did clinch a fifth straight playoff spot — but were then swept by Colorado, extending a drought that dates back to their last Stanley Cup in 2014. Holland moved quickly after the series ended, launching a search that also drew interest from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
Laviolette Reunites With Panarin, Enters Post-Kopitar Era
One notable wrinkle: Laviolette already knows at least one Kings forward well. Artemi Panarin, acquired by LA in 2025, played under Laviolette in New York from 2023 to 2025. The two will reunite on the Kings' roster, per Pro Hockey Rumors. Laviolette will also coach alongside a core that includes Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, and young defenseman Brandt Clarke.
He will do all of it without Anze Kopitar, who retired before the 2025–26 season. Laviolette becomes the first Kings coach in 20 years to lead the team without the legendary center on the active roster. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted the Kings "prioritized experience over continuity" — betting that a proven winner can finally push this team past the first round.
Skeptics Warn That Roster Issues Won't Be Easily Coached Away
Not everyone is sold. Analytics outlets point to Laviolette's final season in New York as a red flag. The Rangers had won the Presidents' Trophy the year before, yet missed the playoffs entirely in 2024–25. Critics say player performance dropped sharply under his system in his final months, per RMNB.
Local fans are split too. Some hope he can bring an "aggressive offensive approach" to a team that has looked stuck for years. Others worry the Kings keep hiring veteran coaches without fixing deeper roster problems left over from the Rob Blake era. Laviolette is expected to sign a three-year deal, signaling that ownership wants results — and fast.
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