Peter Laviolette set to become next Kings head coach, AP reports

The Los Angeles Kings are expected to hire Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, an Associated Press report says, based on information from a person involved in the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity. The AP noted that the Kings had not yet formally announced the outcome of their search for a permanent replacement for interim coach D.J. Smith, which is why the report relied on off-the-record confirmation.

The move would be a significant staffing reset for the Kings following an in-season coaching change. Smith took over on an interim basis after Jim Hiller’s replacement in March, leaving Los Angeles to evaluate roster fit, bench usage, and in-game decisions during the final stretch of the campaign while searching for someone to set the longer-term plan.

Laviolette, 61, is described by AP as the expected choice to lead Los Angeles on a multi-year deal. The report characterizes the expected agreement as a three-year contract, which, if finalized, would give the organization enough runway to install its systems and reshape its coaching and player development routines beyond a short-term stopgap.

This would mark Laviolette’s seventh NHL head-coaching job. Over the course of his career, he has been a head coach for multiple franchises, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, and Seattle Kraken. The common thread is that his teams have typically been built around structured defensive play, with an emphasis on accountability and special teams details that can be decisive in tight playoff matchups.

For the Kings, the timing matters as much as the name. An offseason coaching change usually carries immediate ripple effects for player roles and how the club expects to play from the start of the next season, particularly regarding line construction and the way the defense transitions after turnovers. It also influences how the front office prioritizes certain skill sets in free agency and the draft, since every coach translates roster needs into different kinds of value.

The Kings also have a near-term need to re-establish stability in leadership. An interim coach can keep day-to-day operations moving, but a permanent hire clarifies the decision-making chain for the next wave of roster moves, including which prospects get pushed into higher-leverage minutes and how veterans are used in major-game situations. A three-year outlook, as described by AP, suggests Los Angeles intends to look beyond single-season fixes and toward a sustained identity.

The appointment still requires confirmation from the Kings once negotiations are complete. Until an official team announcement is made, details beyond the hiring expectation, such as specific assistant-coach staffing and implementation timelines for practice and systems, remain to be seen. What becomes clear immediately, however, is that the Kings are preparing to move from interim management to a single defined coaching voice heading into the next NHL cycle.

If the hire is finalized, the central question for fans and evaluators will be how quickly Laviolette’s coaching approach can translate into consistent results. In the modern NHL, defensive structure and special teams execution can turn a team around even before major roster churn arrives. The Kings will also be watching how their young core responds to a veteran coach’s expectations, because that response often determines whether the organization’s offseason plans fit the ice in the regular season.