Interim coach D.J. Smith will be candidate for LA Kings' full-time job in GM Ken Holland's search
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Interim head coach D. J. Smith will be among the candidates for the Los Angeles Kings' full-time job when general manager Ken Holland conducts his coaching search this month.
Smith took over March 1 when Holland fired Jim Hiller with the Kings at 24-21-14 and out of the playoff picture. The former Ottawa head coach rallied Los Angeles to an 11-6-6 finish to claim the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference, but the Kings were swept by the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche in their fifth consecutive first-round postseason exit. “D.
J. did a great job,” Holland said Friday. “The team responded to him, so he’s a candidate.
… I don’t want to talk to 20 people. I’d like to talk to probably five to eight people, and then make a decision. Some with experience, some maybe assistants, and some who haven’t been a head coach.
” Holland will begin his coaching search next week, looking for a candidate who can get this team out of its good-but-not-great rut. He reiterated his disinterest in a full-scale rebuild, but also hinted that the Kings might want to make adjustments to their longstanding defense-first philosophy. Los Angeles has failed to advance beyond the first round in seven consecutive postseasons since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, including six first-round exits since team president Luc Robitaille took ultimate charge of hockey operations in 2017.
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