Todd McLellan Relieved of Coaching Duties; Replaced by Jim Hiller
After four and a half seasons as head coach of the LA Kings, Todd McLellan has been served his walking papers. McLellan led the Kings to a 164-130-44 record with two playoff appearances while he was at the helm. Both postseason appearances came within the last two seasons, where the Oilers eliminated the Kings both years. LA was the third stop for McLellan as an NHL head coach, getting his start in 2008 with the San Jose Sharks.
Leading the Sharks for seven seasons, McLellan posted a record of 311-163-66 along with six playoff experiences during this tenure. After the stint in San Jose, McLellan stopped for a cup of coffee with the Oilers, spending four seasons (2015-2019) there whilst compiling a 123-119-24 record with one playoff appearance. McLellan was hired to guide the franchise out of its rebuilding phase and to start their quest for the Stanley Cup, a prize they haven’t won since the 2013-2014 season. This Stanley Cup was their second in three years, winning their first in the 2011-2012 season.
This move comes after a disappointing last couple of months, with the Kings losing 14 of their last 17 entering All-Star Weekend. The Kings currently sit fourth in the Pacific Division with a record of 23-15-10. During this brutal stretch, the Kings have suffered losses to some of the league’s worst teams in the San Jose Sharks and the Buffalo Sabres. LA felt now was an appropriate time to move on from McLellan, with it being the All-Star break and most of the team getting the weekend off. The man running the bench for the second half of the season? Jim Hiller.
Jim Hiller has been an assistant coach with the LA Kings since July 2022. He previously served as an assistant for other franchises like the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings. Before becoming an assistant, Hiller was a head coach in the Western Hockey League for eight seasons between the Chilliwack Bruins and Tri-City Americans. Hiller specializes in running the power play. The Kings hired him in July 2022 to improve the team’s power play, which had been in the bottom third of the league the last couple of seasons, and last season, with the help from Hiller, the Kings’ power play jumped from ranked 27th to fourth.
