LOS ANGELES — A 3-7-5 record for the Kings in January was enough for general manager Rob Blake to announce a big change: relieving head coach Todd McLellan of his duties. The Kings announced that former assistant coach Jim Hiller would serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
McLellan spent almost five seasons behind the Kings’ bench and while the team found its way back to Stanley Cup Playoffs in McLellan’s third season, it couldn’t make it past the first round. It was the exact same story the following year too, and this season, Los Angeles’ recent fall from early-season dominance has put a big question mark on the team’s playoff chances. Ultimately, the downward trend cost McLellan his job.
“We want to thank Todd for his hard work and dedication to the organization,” said Blake in a team statement. “He has done a tremendous job in moving us forward and making a positive impact on our group and in our community. This was not an easy decision, but we felt the change was necessary at this time.”
Right out of the gate, the Kings had a flying offense and were winning games. LA was in a tightly contested race for the Pacific Division with the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks and setting records as a dominant road team winning 11 away games in a row at one point. All of the pieces were coming together: veterans were thriving, younger players were adjusting at the NHL level accordingly and the goaltending tandem of Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley looked nearly unstoppable.
However, things came crashing down in mid-December. Copley tore his ACL in practice, sidelining him indefinitely. This put overwhelming pressure on Talbot’s shoulders to perform at an All-Star level night-in and night-out, which proved too much for the 36-year-old.
McLellan’s team suffered an eight-game losing streak that spanned from the end of December to mid-January and it severely affected the Kings’ playoff position. The once-electric squad became lifeless and questions began to arise around the coaching staff.
Hiller will attempt to turn the team around while the playoffs are still in sight. While the Kings stand in the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, they are hanging on by a thread.
Firing McLellan was not the most conventional choice but makes sense in the long-run. If there was a time to do so, it was now, and LA will have a chance to regroup during the All-Star Break to return to its true form.