The Los Angeles Kings have a coaching vacancy to fill this offseason after letting go of former bench boss Jim Hiller in March this past season. D.J Smith took over in the interim position for the remainder of the year.
The Kings may opt to remove the interim tag and give Smith the gig leading into the 26-27 campaign. But, the club should do their due diligence and asses their options before making that decision. There are some notable coaches that could be available for Los Angeles to consider.
It sounds like the team will be interviewing some of those candidates soon. General manager Ken Holland may ponder re-kindling a relationship with a former coach from his time with the Edmonton Oilers.
Jay Woodcroft Linked to Potential Kings Coaching Role
Insider Elliotte Friedman has brought up the possibility that Los Angeles involves Jay Woodcroft in the coaching interview process due to his ties with Holland on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
Woodcroft is the current assistant coach of the Anaheim Ducks, backing up head coach Joel Quenneville. He previously served as a head coach himself during his tenure with the Oilers. He brought the Oilers to playoff berths in 2022 and 2023, but was let go following a slow start to the 23-24 season.
He has been a good fit with the Ducks as the team had a successful season, posting a 43-33-6 record with 92 points in the standings. This was good enough to give Anaheim its first spot in the playoffs since the 2018 season. Woodcroft’s Ducks defeated his former Oilers team in the first round, only to be eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in round two.
Woodcroft Could be the Spark Los Angeles Needs
It is fair to say Woodcroft deserves another crack at being a head coach in the NHL. He posted a winning record with the Oilers and has done well in his assistant role with the Ducks thus far. Plus he is only 49 years old, younger than most experienced coaches on the market.
He could be the fresh face that this Kings team needs as they look poised for a change in direction following another first round playoff exit, this time at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. Not to mention, this team will need sound leadership in the room following captain Anze Kopitar’s retirement.
Despite numerous appearances in the postseason, the Kings have not won a series since their 2014 Stanley Cup victory. The franchise needs to enter a retooling period as this current core has not been able to break through come playoff time.
It would be fitting to see Woodcroft join the Kings, considering their history with his former Oilers group. The Kings lost four consecutive playoff series to Edmonton from 2022-2025.
With that said, Woodcroft is just one option of many on the table for this team to evaluate for the job this summer. Whatever route Los Angeles takes, this hire will be important when it comes to pushing the Kings past their playoff struggles and returning to Stanley Cup contention.
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