The Los Angeles Kings Wednesday named Ken Holland as the team’s new vice president and general manager, following the recent departure of Rob Blake.
Holland, a four-time Stanley Cup champion and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, will oversee all day-to-day hockey operations, the team said.
“As we did our due diligence, we identified Ken as the absolute best option and acted decisively to make him our general manager,” team president Luc Robitaille said in a statement. “His track record of success is undeniable and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time.”
Robitaille said Holland has the experience to win right away and compete for the Stanley Cup.
Holland ranks fifth all-time in NHL general manager wins, with a career record of 1,145-644-272 over 26 seasons, most recently with the Edmonton Oilers and previously with the Detroit Red Wings.
During his five-year stint in Edmonton, Holland led the Oilers to five straight postseason appearances, including three 100-point seasons and a trip to the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals.
A native of Vernon, British Columbia, Holland was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020. He has also served in various roles with Hockey Canada, earning gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Last week, the Kings announced they had mutually agreed to part ways with Blake. During his eight seasons as general manager, Blake led the Kings to a 309-238-71 regular-season record and five playoff appearances.