Kings Fire Head Coach Jim Hiller

The Los Angeles Kings are moving on from head coach Jim Hiller after two seasons, 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. Hiller became the head coach of the team in 2024, replacing Todd McLellan after his firing.

Things came to a boiling point after Los Angeles' losing streak reached five games. They snapped the streak with a 2-0 win over the Calgary Flames. They're currently three points out of the wild card spot in the Western Conference. They have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs the last four seasons, but were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round each time.

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 Takes Over

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.

Smith will be stepping into a role to help a team hunting for a playoff push, but who are banged up. Kevin Fiala is out for the season after suffering a leg injury while playing in the Olympics for Switzerland. Andrei Kuzmenko is also dealing with issues, being listed as week-to-week after undergoing surgery on his meniscus.

The Kings have 23 games remaining on their schedule. Smith's first game as head coach will be on March 2 against the Colorado Avalanche. He'll host a three-game home stretch against Colorado, New York Islanders (March 5) and Montreal Canadians (March 7).

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