Kings announce Peter Laviolette as new head coach

Laviolette previously coached the New York Rangers from 2023 to 2025. He led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year before being fired at the end of the 2024-25 season for missing the playoffs. In total, he has coached for six different franchises over the course of 23 seasons. He has made it to the Stanley Cup Finals three times, winning once with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

The Kings struggled mightily this past season. They fired head coach Jim Hiller in March, with interim coach D.J. Smith taking over the rest of the season. They finished with a 35-27-20 record, enough to squeak into the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. They were eventually swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, making it the fifth straight year they have lost in the first round of the playoffs.

With Laviolette coming in, the franchise is looking to make that next step in a struggling Pacific Division.