The Los Angeles Kings have officially parted ways with Jim Hiller, with the organization confirming what Elliott Friedman of Sportsnet reported earlier on Sunday. The team is fifth on the Pacific Division on the Western Conference and that has prompted a change.
Frank Seravalli also reported that DJ Smith will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, confirmed by the Kings in a statement. In fact, he reported that the Kings don’t have any plans to go into a search in-season. Matt Greene will also go to the bench as an assistant coach. Greene was on the player development coach role prior to this move.
Hiller failed to replicate the success of a team that has looked quite disorganized and undisciplined. Hiller wasn’t able to turn things around and after 59 games, the front office decided that a change was imperative. Now, it’s up to Smith to deliver.
Hiller had quite the downfall
Under Jim Hiller’s leadership, the Kings soared to a franchise-record 48 wins and 105 points during his debut full season, a high-water mark the team has struggled to replicate in the years since.
Now, Smith has been an associate coach under Hiller since 2024, so he knows the locker room and the team. Smith also has quite the head coaching experience as he was the Ottawa Senators head coach for five seasons. That also makes Smith avoid the learning curve that a newbie might face.
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There are some concerns on Smith too
This season is now a coin flip for the Kings. If Smith can deliver, good things can be seen in the horizon. However, that is not a guarantee by any means. Hence, there are some concerns too.
His tenure in Ottawa might have been a long one, but it wasn’t precisely a great period. He had a 131-154-32 record with the Canadian team, and never made the playoffs. Smith was also heavily criticized for lacking a defensive structure, which might not fit well with the Kings, whose identity is built on structure.
