Jim Hiller Will Continue as Kings Coach
Ken Holland, the new general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, has confirmed that Jim Hiller will remain as head coach next season. Holland made the announcement during his introductory press conference at the Kings’ training complex.
Holland, who returns to the NHL after a year of absence, praised Hiller and anticipated a new stage of collaboration. The experienced hockey executive, 69, arrives to replace Rob Blake.
Holland made it clear that his goal is not to dismantle a team that has achieved four consecutive playoff appearances. The general manager plans to keep the front office staff, including assistant general managers and hockey executives who worked with Blake.
Jim is going to be the coach. Jim Hiller did a fabulous job of getting 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 have a long playoff run. He’ll be a better coach next year because of the experience he had this year.
Ken Holland
Hiller, who replaced Todd McLellan in February 2024, was an assistant coach under Mike Babcock in Detroit a decade ago, while Holland was the general manager of the Wings. The Kings matched franchise records for wins (48) and points this season under Hiller.
Holland and Hiller discussed for two hours on Wednesday. Holland seeks to bring new ideas to improve the team’s performance. The general manager understands the competitiveness of the market and the importance of winning and competing. The goal is to make the team a little different and better.
According to President Luc Robitaille, Blake voluntarily left the team less than two weeks ago. Holland called the Kings “a legitimate Stanley Cup contender” this season and praised Blake for his rebuilding work.
The Kings’ search quickly focused on Holland, who spent the last year working in the NHL’s hockey operations division after leaving the Oilers by mutual consent. Robitaille highlighted the Kings’ fortune in hiring Holland.
He knows the path of what it takes to get to the championship. That’s something difficult to do, and that’s something difficult to learn. His experience, what he has done throughout his career, is very important for this franchise to reach the next level.
Luc Robitaille
Holland won a Stanley Cup as an assistant general manager in Detroit and three more during his 22 years as general manager of the Wings. In 2019, he moved to Edmonton, where the Oilers made the playoffs in all five years of his tenure and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last year.
Holland said he wasn’t sure if he would return to a front office after leaving 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 hockey operations director Colin Campbell.
Holland described Los Angeles as “one of the great sports cities in the world” and is already getting to know the city. He spent two nights at a hotel in Manhattan Beach, where most of the Kings players and executives reside.
Holland’s family is excited about the move to Los Angeles. They look forward to the Kings games and visiting Disneyland.
