Latest news with #JimHiller
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jim Hiller will return as LA Kings' head coach, general manager Ken Holland says during his intro
Jim Hiller will return next season as the Los Angeles Kings' head coach, new general manager Ken Holland says. Holland praised Hiller and looked ahead to their new partnership Thursday during the Hall of Fame hockey executive's introductory news conference at the Kings' training complex. Holland is returning to the NHL after a one-year absence, taking over as the replacement for Rob Blake. The 69-year-old former GM of the Detroit Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers immediately made it clear he isn't in Los Angeles to blow up a team that has made four straight playoff appearances, only to lose to the Oilers in the first round every spring. Holland won't make an immediate change behind the Kings' bench — or even in the front office, where he plans to retain the assistant GMs and hockey executives who worked for Blake. 'Jim is going to be the coach,' Holland said. 'Jim Hiller did a fabulous job in leading the team to 105 points. They were good defensively. They were good on special teams. The team played hard. I thought three weeks ago that this was a team that had the potential, the ability to go on a long playoff run. He'll be a better coach next year for the experience that he went through this year.' Holland and Hiller spent two hours in discussion Wednesday, the GM said. Hiller, who replaced the fired Todd McLellan in February 2024, was an assistant coach to Mike Babcock in Detroit a decade ago while Holland was the Wings' general manager. The Kings tied the franchise records for victories (48) and points this season under Hiller, only to lose four straight playoff games to Edmonton after going up 2-0. Los Angeles is a consistent playoff team with star power and solid depth, but Holland knows his job is to get the Kings off this franchise plateau. 'I'm hoping to add something to it, maybe a little different idea,' Holland said. 'I'm looking forward to getting going. ... I understand that this is a marketplace that's really competitive. You talk about all the competition for the entertainment dollar, so it's important that you win and you compete. Got to find a way to make the team a little bit different, a little bit better. I think the experiences they've been through here will benefit us down the road.' Blake voluntarily left the team less than two weeks ago, according to president Luc Robitaille. Holland called the Kings 'a legitimate Stanley Cup contender' this season, and he praised Blake for his rebuilding job. The Kings' search quickly zeroed in on Holland, who spent the past year working in the NHL's hockey operations division after he left the Oilers by mutual consent. Robitaille said the Kings are 'very fortunate' to hire Holland. 'He knows the path of what it takes to get to the championship,' Robitaille said. 'That's a hard thing to do, and that's a hard thing to learn. His experience, what he's done over the course of his career, is very important for this franchise to get to that next level.' Holland won one Stanley Cup as an assistant GM in Detroit and three more during his 22 years as the Wings' general manager. In 2019 he moved on to Edmonton, which made the playoffs in all five years of his tenure and even advanced to Game 7 of last year's Stanley Cup Final before falling to Florida. Holland said he wasn't sure whether he would return to a front office after he left Edmonton, but he's ready. He spent the winter watching games every night at home in British Columbia when he wasn't working alongside NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell. 'I'm excited to be back in the saddle,' Holland said. 'I've got a lot of energy. I had an opportunity this past winter to get my batteries re-juiced.' Holland called Los Angeles 'one of the great sports cities in all the world,' and he is already getting to know the breadth of the city in a way he never did as a visitor: He spent the past two nights in a hotel in Manhattan Beach, the beautiful seaside enclave where most of the Kings' players and executives live. 'My wife is excited, and my grandkids are really excited,' Holland said. 'Let me tell you, they're looking forward to coming to LA, watching some Kings games and going to Disneyland.' ___ AP NHL:
Washington Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
LA Kings president expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after GM Blake's replacement hired
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after the team selects its new general manager. Robitaille expressed strong support for Hiller on Tuesday, one day after GM Rob Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to end Blake's eight-year tenure .
CBS News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
LA Kings president expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after GM Blake's replacement hired
Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after the team selects its new general manager. Robitaille expressed strong support for Hiller on Tuesday, one day after GM Rob Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to end Blake's eight-year tenure. "Your general manager, you want to give him the freedom, you don't want to lock up a new person that's coming in, but the record of what Jimmy has done this year is really, really good," Robitaille said at the Kings' training complex. "It would be really hard for any GM to say, 'Well, this guy shouldn't come back.' He's been really good. I think Jimmy's a great coach, and I fully think that this guy is coming back, for sure." Hiller has been in charge of the Kings' bench since February 2024, when the former assistant took over for the fired Todd McLellan. The Kings are 69-37-10 in Hiller's first job as an NHL head coach, and they matched franchise records with 48 victories and 105 points this season before losing to Edmonton in the first round for the fourth consecutive postseason. Robitaille emphasized that the new GM would have the final say on the coaching staff, but the longtime team president reiterated his overall happiness with the state of the Kings' roster, their coaching staff and even their style of play despite their repeated playoff disappointments. Robitaille made it clear that Blake supported the decision to seek new team leadership. Robitaille plans to hire a general manager who can provide a fresh perspective on how to change a talent-filled roster that can't get it done in the postseason. "Blakey and I have been talking about it for probably a year," Robitaille said. "He always said he wanted to wait to sign (a contract extension). I'm not going to get into detail about our conversation, but it's something we talked about ... and we both agreed this was better for the franchise." The former Kings teammates agreed that "it was time to probably bring a new voice just to get us to that next level," Robitaille added. Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff series since raising the Stanley Cup in 2014, and the Oilers have bounced the Kings in four straight springs. Los Angeles has won only eight total games in those four first-round series, and Hiller's club lost its final four in a row last week after winning the first two at home. Robitaille didn't sound close to hiring Blake's replacement. He plans to examine multiple candidates, including Marc Bergevin, the former Montreal GM who was a senior adviser to Blake for the past 3 1/2 years. Robitaille isn't waiting until he hires a new GM to begin preparations for next season. Working with assistant general manager Nelson Emerson, Robitaille has already spoken to pending unrestricted free agents Andrei Kuzmenko and Vladislav Gavrikov, who both played significant roles in Los Angeles' late-season success. When asked what he sought in a replacement for a general manager of a team coming off one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, Robitaille emphasized the importance of evaluating the Kings' roster with fresh eyes. "We had a good year ... but it's sports, and you want to win the last game of the season," Robitaille said. "That's our goal." Robitaille doesn't necessarily want to see the Kings abandon their regimented, defense-oriented style of play under McLellan and Hiller, however. Fans often criticize Los Angeles' style as old-fashioned and not offense-forward, but Robitaille offered a passionate defense of a team that stopped relying so heavily on the neutral-zone trap this season and finished 14th in the NHL in goals scored (249). "We had three of the best lines in hockey," Robitaille said. "We scored goals. We had a 40% power play (at the end of the season). We felt like we needed to tweak our power play, and credit to our guys, they figured it out. Some teams have a 60-goal scorer. We don't, but we have a lot of guys that can score goals. We play hard. We forecheck. We don't sit back. ... We want to push."
Associated Press
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
LA Kings president expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after GM Blake's replacement hired
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille expects coach Jim Hiller to remain in charge after the team selects its new general manager. Robitaille expressed strong support for Hiller on Tuesday, one day after GM Rob Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to end Blake's eight-year tenure . 'Your general manager, you want to give him the freedom, you don't want to lock up a new person that's coming in, but the record of what Jimmy has done this year is really, really good,' Robitaille said at the Kings' training complex. 'It would be really hard for any GM to say, 'Well, this guy shouldn't come back.' He's been really good. I think Jimmy's a great coach, and I fully think that this guy is coming back, for sure.' Hiller has been in charge of the Kings' bench since February 2024, when the former assistant took over for the fired Todd McLellan. The Kings are 69-37-10 in Hiller's first job as an NHL head coach, and they matched franchise records with 48 victories and 105 points this season before losing to Edmonton in the first round for the fourth consecutive postseason. Robitaille emphasized that the new GM would have the final say on the coaching staff, but the longtime team president reiterated his overall happiness with the state of the Kings' roster, their coaching staff and even their style of play despite their repeated playoff disappointments. Robitaille made it clear that Blake supported the decision to seek new team leadership. Robitaille plans to hire a general manager who can provide a fresh perspective on how to change a talent-filled roster that can't get it done in the postseason. 'Blakey and I have been talking about it for probably a year,' Robitaille said. 'He always said he wanted to wait to sign (a contract extension). I'm not going to get into detail about our conversation, but it's something we talked about ... and we both agreed this was better for the franchise.' The former Kings teammates agreed that 'it was time to probably bring a new voice just to get us to that next level,' Robitaille added. Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff series since raising the Stanley Cup in 2014, and the Oilers have bounced the Kings in four straight springs. Los Angeles has won only eight total games in those four first-round series, and Hiller's club lost its final four in a row last week after winning the first two at home. Robitaille didn't sound close to hiring Blake's replacement. He plans to examine multiple candidates, including Marc Bergevin, the former Montreal GM who was a senior adviser to Blake for the past 3 1/2 years. Robitaille isn't waiting until he hires a new GM to begin preparations for next season. Working with assistant general manager Nelson Emerson, Robitaille has already spoken to pending unrestricted free agents Andrei Kuzmenko and Vladislav Gavrikov, who both played significant roles in Los Angeles' late-season success. When asked what he sought in a replacement for a general manager of a team coming off one of the best regular seasons in franchise history, Robitaille emphasized the importance of evaluating the Kings' roster with fresh eyes. 'We had a good year ... but it's sports, and you want to win the last game of the season,' Robitaille said. 'That's our goal.' Robitaille doesn't necessarily want to see the Kings abandon their regimented, defense-oriented style of play under McLellan and Hiller, however. Fans often criticize Los Angeles' style as old-fashioned and not offense-forward, but Robitaille offered a passionate defense of a team that stopped relying so heavily on the neutral-zone trap this season and finished 14th in the NHL in goals scored (249). 'We had three of the best lines in hockey,' Robitaille said. 'We scored goals. We had a 40% power play (at the end of the season). We felt like we needed to tweak our power play, and credit to our guys, they figured it out. Some teams have a 60-goal scorer. We don't, but we have a lot of guys that can score goals. We play hard. We forecheck. We don't sit back. ... We want to push.' ___ AP NHL:
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Only thing L.A. Kings want more than redemption is to reach Round 2
Think the 82-game regular season felt long? Try being the Los Angeles Kings. It's the closest thing there is in the NHL to a guarantee that they are going to have to go through it all only to have waiting in the wings the prospect of suffering yet another demoralizing opening-round exit to the Edmonton Oilers come April. It's happened before. And before that time. And even the time before that. Each of the past three post-seasons, in fact. And it's a safe bet it doesn't get any easier each time. 'I would say this: Every year, your team is different and I would say every playoff series is different,' said Kings head coach Jim Hiller. 'So, different team. It's Edmonton, but it will be a different series than the last three have been. And we have a different team. 'So, to me it's fresh. I know some people maybe in the media think, 'Oh, this series again.' But for me, it's fresh. We get to play in the playoffs, we've got a really good team this year. Who we playing? Let's go.' It hasn't necessarily helped watching the Oilers move on to lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions each of the past three years, including seeing them make it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season. It's only human nature to wonder, what if? As in, if the Kings can just make it over the initial hump, just how much momentum would that give them to pursue the same type of opportunities the Oilers have earned over the years. But if you're the Kings, it all begins in the mental arena heading into the post-season, and that means shrugging off any such notions of what-if, and downplaying the whole scene. 'I think each matchup's kind of different,' said Kings forward Trevor Moore. 'It was fun watching them go on a run but I think every matchup's different.' With the Kings winning the season series and finishing second in the Pacific Division ahead of the Oilers in third place for once, this year's matchup is being promoted as L.A.'s chance at earning redemption. But at this point, for any Kings players who have suffered the slings and arrows of the past three post-seasons — not to mention a fan base that hasn't witnessed their team reach the second round since winning it all in 2013-14, you'd think it might be less about getting revenge on Edmonton and more about just getting through a playoff round. 'I mean, we're trying to get out of the first round and really, it doesn't matter who you play, obviously,' said Kings forward Anze Kopitar, who has captained the team since the 2016-17 season. 'It's been a couple of good series, obviously, over the last couple years with these guys. 'Yeah, we'd like to get 'em and we're going to get a chance again this year.' Not everyone on L.A.'s roster has been so quick to turn the other cheek when it comes to the Oilers. 'I guess part of you wants a change, but the bigger part of all of us wants redemption,' said Moore, who isn't surprised to be facing the same opponent once again. 'I think that they've beaten us three years in a row and we get to face them again. That's a great opportunity. 'And we're really lucky for that.' After all, the Oilers had the oldest roster in the NHL this season, while the Kings' up-and-comers are starting to hit their stride. 'I think our young guys have really made a difference for us,' said Moore, adding L.A.'s fresh faces are also more experienced in the playoff atmosphere at this point, win or lose. 'Huge, Stanley Cup playoffs are a different animal and your first time through it you're really just trying to do your best. 'I think now they can kind of be more comfortable in it and play better.' But the Kings know relying on the experience of playing the Oilers in the past will only get them so far in this one. 'They have such high-end skill, it's not like we can be like, 'Oh, we know what they're doing,'' Moore said. 'Their power play's a force. There's a lot of stuff that we can clean up from years past that we played against them. 'So, a lot of preparation still goes in.' E-mail: On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge These five players need to pick it up for the Edmonton Oilers to win Playoff Preview: Edmonton Oilers look to make it 4 straight vs. L.A. Will Oilers' Arvidsson finally be on winning side in this Kings clash? You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
