Kings Fire Head Coach Jim Hiller

The Los Angeles Kings are moving on from head coach Jim Hiller, the team announced.

The Kings are 24-21-14 this season and in fifth place in the Pacific Division. The Kings have named D.J. Smith as their interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

After the news, Kings Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland released a statement on the decision.

"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. "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."

Smith is in his second season as the Associate Coach of the LA Kings. The 48-year-old was the Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators for parts of the last five seasons and assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs (2015-2019) before then.