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Kings Reportedly Closing in on Naming Ken Holland Their Next General Manager

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jesse Courville-Lynch | Last updated May 12, 2025 10:38 PM ET

After losing in the first round for the fourth straight season, the Los Angeles Kings decided to make some changes to their front office as they shift their focus to the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and free agency. After the franchise and Rob Blake mutually parted ways, it seems as though they have found their newest general manager in former Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland.

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
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 13, 2025

Holland, who is 69 years old, currently serves as a consultant with the NHL’s hockey operations department, and most notably served as the general manager and executive vice president of the Detroit Red Wings between 1997 and 2019. Between 2019 and 2024, he served as the president of hockey operations and general manager of the Oilers before stepping into a role with the NHL. Now, he makes a return to working for a team.

He is a four-time Stanley Cup champion, has won a gold medal at the Olympics and the World Cup, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020. There was a strong belief that once Holland left the Oilers, he was going to retire and step away from the game unless it was in the consultant role he eventually accepted, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Friedman made sure to point out that things aren’t finalized just yet, but things are progressing towards Holland being named the Kings’ next general manager in the next few days.

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