Subscribe
Follow Us
The Los Angeles Kings parted ways with Rob Blake after another crushing playoff elimination. This left the team searching for a new general manager for the first time since 2017. Los Angeles is trying to avoid another playoff defeat to the Edmonton Oilers. And it appears they are turning to the man who helped build Edmonton's current roster, Ken Holland.
The Kings are reportedly closing in on hiring Holland as their next general manager, according to Sportsnet's NHL insider Elliotte Friedman. “We will see where things progress over the next few days, but all indications are that the LA Kings are closing in on Ken Holland as their next GM,” Friedman wrote on Monday night.
Holland is one of the most decorated general managers in modern NHL history. He began his career as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings in 1997. He helped the franchise win three Stanley Cups from 1998 through to 2008. Holland also won a Stanley Cup as an assistant general manager and goalie coach in 1997.
Article Continues Below
Holland guided Detroit through an impressive 25-year playoff streak. He held the GM role for 18 of those years. However, the streak ended in 2017. In 2019, the Red Wings hired former captain Steve Yzerman as the new GM. Holland was promoted to senior vice president of the team as a result, though he would not hold this position for long.
The Oilers hired Holland as their general manager in May 2019. He helped build around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl during his time in Western Canada. Edmonton made the 2022 Western Conference Finals, losing to the Colorado Avalanche. The highlight of his tenure, however, was the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, where the Oilers lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers.
Following the Final, Holland left the Oilers. He did not take a general manager role for the 2024-25 season, instead watching from the sidelines. Now, it appears as if the future Hall of Fame executive is taking the reins in Hollywood beginning in 2025-26.
