The Los Angeles Kings have not been able to live up to the expectations they had coming into the season, which has led to them moving on from head coach Jim Hiller, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
“The Kings have made a coaching change. DJ Smith as interim boss,” Friedman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
General manager Ken Holland wrote a statement about the firing.
“I want to thank Jim Hiller for his dedication, professionalism, and the commitment he showed to our players and our team every day. He is a respected coach and person, and we appreciate the work he’s done behind our bench,” Holland said in the statement. “At this point in the season, we believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect. These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward.”
The Kings won a franchise-best 48 wins and 105 points in Hiller's first full season as the coach, but have not been able to get back to that success since. Coming back from the Olympic break, the Kings lost their first two games, and after their 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, fans were heard saying, “Fire Hiller.”
So far this season, the Kings have had a hard time trying to score, which is why they went out to get Artemi Panarin. The hope is that he can bring a boost to the team, but with injuries to other players, it's hard to tell if they'll truly be able to get on track. As of now, they're on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.
