Kings fire coach Jim Hiller; DJ Smith named interim
A big change behind the bench in Tinseltown.
On Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings announced that the team has fired head coach Jim Hiller. In his place, D.J. Smith has been named the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
The @LAKings have relieved Jim Hiller of his duties and named D.J. Smith interim head coach for the remainder of the season. In addition, Kings player development coach Matt Greene will join Smith as an assistant coach. 📰: bit.ly/4lm8wI9
The team also promoted player development coach Matt Greene to assistant coach.
In a release, Kings general manager Ken Holland thanked Hiller for his work with the organization, but realized it was time for a change.
“At this point in the season,” Holland explained. “We believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect. These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward.”
The decision comes after the Kings continue disappoint down the stretch, with the group facing the reality that it might miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season. Despite beating the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Los Angeles suffered an embarrassing 8-1 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers last Thursday.
This year, the Kings have a record of 24-21-14, going from a top-three contender in the Pacific Division to fighting for a Wild Card spot.
Hiller stepped into the role as head coach halfway through the 2023-24 campaign, taking over after Todd McLellan was fired. Hiller went on to guide the Kings to the postseason in each of the past two years, only to lose to the Oilers in the first round both times.
The Port Alberni, B.C. native had a record of 93-58-24 with the Kings.
Smith joined the Kings’ coaching staff before the 2024-25 season as an assistant and was promoted to associate coach prior to this year. He moved to Hollywood after he was fired as head coach of the Ottawa Senators in the middle of the 2023-24 campaign. In four full seasons in Ottawa, the Windsor native failed to get the team to the postseason, delivering a record of 131-154-32.
As of Sunday, the Kings sit three points back of the Seattle Kraken for the last Wild Card position in the Western Conference.