LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings announced on Wednesday the hiring of Ken Holland, a distinguished Hall of Fame hockey executive, as their new general manager.
Holland, aged 69, returns to the NHL after taking a year off since departing the Edmonton Oilers in June 2024. Prior to his five seasons leading the Oilers, he spent 22 years guiding the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he was instrumental in winning four Stanley Cup titles over his three decades there.
He takes over the role from Rob Blake, who mutually agreed to part ways with the Kings earlier this month after serving as the head of hockey operations for eight seasons. Under Blake, the Kings achieved a significant milestone with four consecutive playoff berths, though each appearance ended in a first-round loss to the Oilers.
A former NHL goaltender with a brief four-game playing career, Holland is widely recognized as one of the most respected and successful hockey executives of the last 50 years. His contributions were honored with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 in the Builder category.
In Detroit, he established a perennial championship contender, consistently rebuilding the roster throughout the final two decades of the Red Wings` impressive run of 25 straight playoff appearances. After this streak concluded in 2017, Holland departed Detroit in 2019 to assume leadership of the Oilers.
Holland also achieved success with Edmonton, assembling a team capable of supporting superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, despite the Oilers` prior struggles around them. During his time there, the Oilers reached the playoffs five times, advanced to two Western Conference Finals, and made it to one Stanley Cup Final, where they lost in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers last June.
In Los Angeles, Holland inherits a talented roster that doesn`t require a full rebuild. His primary task will be to maximize the potential of a team that has performed consistently well in the regular season but has struggled to overcome the Oilers in the playoffs each year.
The Kings have not won a playoff series since securing their second Stanley Cup in 2014. This past season, the team equaled franchise records for wins (48) and points (105), yet were eliminated by Edmonton after winning the first two games at home but losing the next four.
Last week, Kings President Luc Robitaille stated that the new general manager would ultimately decide the future of head coach Jim Hiller. Hiller took over in February 2024 and guided the team to two playoff berths. Robitaille expressed confidence that Hiller would likely be kept on by the incoming GM.
Hiller previously worked under Holland during the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach for Mike Babcock with the Red Wings. Both Babcock and Hiller later moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs the following season.
Holland becomes the tenth general manager in the history of the Kings franchise and just the fourth since 1997 for the team often referred to as a `Second Six` expansion team.
Blake`s predecessor was Dean Lombardi, credited with building the Kings teams that won two Stanley Cups during his 11-season tenure. While Blake successfully returned the team to playoff contention, Robitaille indicated that Blake concurred a change in leadership was needed following the recent first-round elimination.
Key decisions await Holland regarding unrestricted free agents like defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov and forward Andrei Kuzmenko, the latter having provided a late-season boost to the team and its struggling power play after arriving via trade.
Additionally, he will need to assess the situation of 36-year-old defenceman Drew Doughty. Doughty missed significant time last season due to injury and is under contract with the Kings, his sole NHL team, for the next two seasons with an $11 million annual salary.
The Kings retain a solid core of veteran players under contract, including long-time captain Anze Kopitar, who has stated his intention to return for his 20th season with the team.
