Kings complete Peter Laviolette’s bench staff with hires of Housley, Hajt and Whitney

The Los Angeles Kings have finalized Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff for the 2026-27 NHL season, completing the behind-the-bench group with three additions announced Tuesday. Phil Housley has been hired as associate coach, while Chris Hajt and Ray Whitney have been named assistant coaches.

Housley’s role as associate coach places him among the key leaders in the staff hierarchy as the Kings move into a new season under Laviolette. The associate-coach position typically indicates a top-tier voice in day-to-day preparation, game planning, and on-ice strategy coordination, functions that can matter early in a season when systems are still settling.

Chris Hajt’s appointment as an assistant coach rounds out the coaching group on the administrative and tactical side. Assistant coaches often handle specific areas of development and preparation, including breakouts, special-teams meetings, and position-focused coaching. For Los Angeles, adding Hajt alongside an associate coach suggests the organization is aiming to strengthen coverage across multiple facets of the team’s preparation.

Ray Whitney’s hiring as an assistant coach adds another experienced hockey mind to the bench. Whitney is known widely for his track record as a player and for his reputation in the sport for teaching offensive details. With an NHL coaching staff, that background can translate into emphasis on skill development, shot creation, and habits in high-leverage situations, although the team’s specific internal responsibilities were not detailed in the announcement.

The timing of the staff finalization matters. With the Kings entering 2026-27, the organization can now align its complete structure before the season begins, which is especially important in the NHL where coaching continuity can influence communication, role clarity, and the speed of implementation for any system changes.

What remains to be seen is how each coach’s focus will show up on the ice. The Kings have now named their full slate of newly added staff members, but the specific day-to-day duties and the degree of responsibility for areas such as special teams, defensive-zone structure, and individual player development were not spelled out in the report.

Still, the message from Los Angeles is clear: Laviolette will have a fully assembled support staff as he prepares for the new campaign. Fans can watch for early-season indicators such as how the team runs its practices, whether specific schemes look more polished from game to game, and which players appear to benefit first from the new coaching emphasis.