Jim Hiller will return next season as the Los Angeles Kings’ head coach, new general manager Ken Holland says.
Holland praised Hiller and looked ahead to their new partnership Thursday during the Hall of Fame hockey executive’s introductory news conference at the Kings’ training complex. Holland is returning to the NHL after a one-year absence, taking over as the replacement for Rob Blake.
kAm%96 eh\J62C\@=5 7@C>6C v| @7 E96 s6EC@:E #65 (:?8D 2?5 E96 t5>@?E@? ~:=6CD :>>65:2E6=J >256 :E 4=62C 96 :D?VE 😕 {@D p?86=6D E@ 3=@H FA 2 E62> E92E 92D >256 7@FC DEC2:89E A=2J@77 2AA62C2?46D[ @?=J E@ =@D6 E@ E96 ~:=6CD 😕 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 6G6CJ DAC:?8] w@==2?5 H@?’E >2<6 2? :>>65:2E6 492?86 369:?5 E96 z:?8D’ 36?49 — @C 6G6? 😕 E96 7C@?E @77:46[ H96C6 96 A=2?D E@ C6E2:? E96 2DD:DE2?E v|D 2?5 9@4<6J 6I64FE:G6D H9@ H@C<65 7@C q=2<6]k^Am
kAm“y:> 😀 8@:?8 E@ 36 E96 4@249[” w@==2?5 D2:5] “y:> w:==6C 5:5 2 723F=@FD ;@3 😕 =625:?8 E96 E62> E@ `_d A@:?ED] %96J H6C6 8@@5 5676?D:G6=J] %96J H6C6 8@@5 @? DA64:2= E62>D] %96 E62> A=2J65 92C5] x E9@F89E E9C66 H66 E92E 925 E96 A@E6?E:2=[ E96 23:=:EJ E@ 8@ @? 2 =@?8 A=2J@77 CF?] w6’== 36 2 36EE6C 4@249 ?6IE J62C 7@C E96 6IA6C:6?46 E92E 96 H6?E E9C@F89 E9:D J62C]”k^Am
kAmw@==2?5 2?5 w:==6C DA6?E EH@ 9@FCD 😕 5:D4FDD:@? (65?6D52J[ E96 v| D2:5] w:==6C[ H9@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<:?8D\?9=\3=2<6\9:==6C\C@3:E2:==6\5fa46`3b3h_f47e`36_4hgg6fa564763QmC6A=2465 E96 7:C65 %@55 |4{6==2? 😕 u63CF2CJ a_ack^2m[ H2D 2? 2DD:DE2?E 4@249 E@ |:<6 q234@4< 😕 s6EC@:E 2 564256 28@ H9:=6 w@==2?5 H2D E96 (:?8DV 86?6C2= >2?286C]k^Am
kAm%96 z:?8D E:65 E96 7C2?49:D6 C64@C5D 7@C G:4E@C:6D WcgX 2?5 A@:?ED E9:D D62D@? F?56C w:==6C[ @?=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A=2J@77D\@:=6CD\<:?8D\D4@C6\7`675fd77ag4fhcaaeae74a7c3437cd5QmE@ =@D6 7@FC DEC2:89E A=2J@77 82>6Dk^2m E@ t5>@?E@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DE2?=6J\4FA\A=2J@77D\<:?8D\@:=6CD\D4@C6\2e7456g3dfacd6`f3fag46fge3hhg223Qm27E6C 8@:?8 FA a\_k^2m] {@D p?86=6D 😀 2 4@?D:DE6?E A=2J@77 E62> H:E9 DE2C A@H6C 2?5 D@=:5 56AE9[ 3FE w@==2?5 @HD 9:D ;@3 😀 E@ 86E E96 z:?8D @77 E9:D 7C2?49:D6 A=2E62F]k^Am
kAm“xV> 9@A:?8 E@ 255 D@>6E9:?8 E@ :E[ >2J36 2 =:EE=6 5:776C6?E :562[” w@==2?5 D2:5] “xV> =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ 86EE:?8 8@:?8] ]]] x F?56CDE2?5 E92E E9:D 😀 2 >2C<6EA=246 E92EVD C62==J 4@>A6E:E:G6] *@F E2=< 23@FE 2== E96 4@>A6E:E:@? 7@C E96 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 5@==2C[ D@ :EVD :>A@CE2?E E92E J@F H:? 2?5 J@F 4@>A6E6] v@E E@ 7:?5 2 H2J E@ >2<6 E96 E62> 2 =:EE=6 3:E 5:776C6?E[ 2 =:EE=6 3:E 36EE6C] x E9:?< E96 6IA6C:6?46D E96JVG6 366? E9C@F89 96C6 H:== 36?67:E FD 5@H? E96 C@25]”k^Am
kAmq=2<6 G@=F?E2C:=J =67E E96 E62> =6DD E92? EH@ H662E6 $E2?=6J rFA 4@?E6?56C” E9:D D62D@?[ 2?5 96 AC2:D65 q=2<6 7@C 9:D C63F:=5:?8 ;@3]k^Am
kAm%96 z:?8DV D62C49 BF:4<=J K6C@65 😕 @? w@==2?5[ H9@ DA6?E E96 A2DE J62C H@C<:?8 😕 E96 }w{’D 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D 5:G:D:@? 27E6C 96 =67E E96 ~:=6CD 3J >FEF2= 4@?D6?E] #@3:E2:==6 D2:5 E96 z:?8D 2C6 “G6CJ 7@CEF?2E6” E@ 9:C6 w@==2?5]k^Am
kAm“w6 @HD E96 A2E9 @7 H92E :E E2<6D E@ 86E E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A[” #@3:E2:==6 D2:5] “%92E’D 2 92C5 E9:?8 E@ 5@[ 2?5 E92E’D 2 92C5 E9:?8 E@ =62C?] w:D 6IA6C:6?46[ H92E 96’D 5@?6 @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 9:D 42C66C[ 😀 G6CJ :>A@CE2?E 7@C E9:D 7C2?49:D6 E@ 86E E@ E92E ?6IE =6G6=]”k^Am
kAmw@==2?5 H@? @?6 $E2?=6J rFA 2D 2? 2DD:DE2?E v| 😕 s6EC@:E 2?5 E9C66 >@C6 5FC:?8 9:D aa J62CD 2D E96 (:?8DV 86?6C2= >2?286C] x? a_`h 96 >@G65 @? E@ t5>@?E@?[ H9:49 >256 E96 A=2J@77D 😕 2== 7:G6 J62CD @7 9:D E6?FC6 2?5 6G6? 25G2?465 E@ v2>6 f @7 =2DE J62C’D $E2?=6J rFA u:?2= 367@C6 72==:?8 E@ u=@C:52]k^Am
kAmw@==2?5 D2:5 96 H2D?VE DFC6 H96E96C 96 H@F=5 C6EFC? E@ 2 7C@?E @77:46 27E6C 96 =67E t5>@?E@?[ 3FE 96VD C625J] w6 DA6?E E96 H:?E6C H2E49:?8 82>6D 6G6CJ ?:89E 2E 9@>6 😕 qC:E:D9 r@=F>3:2 H96? 96 H2D?VE H@C<:?8 2=@?8D:56 }w{ 5:C64E@C @7 9@4<6J @A6C2E:@?D r@=:? r2>A36==]k^Am
kAm“x’> 6I4:E65 E@ 36 324< 😕 E96 D255=6[” w@==2?5 D2:5] “x’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 6?6C8J] x 925 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E9:D A2DE H:?E6C E@ 86E >J 32EE6C:6D C6\;F:465]”k^Am
kAmw@==2?5 42==65 {@D p?86=6D “@?6 @7 E96 8C62E DA@CED 4:E:6D 😕 2== E96 H@C=5[” 2?5 96 😀 2=C625J 86EE:?8 E@ @H E96 3C625E9 @7 E96 4:EJ 😕 2 H2J 96 ?6G6C 5:5 2D 2 G:D:E@Ci w6 DA6?E E96 A2DE EH@ ?:89ED 😕 2 9@E6= 😕 |2?92EE2? q6249[ E96 362FE:7F= D62D:56 6?4=2G6 H96C6 >@DE @7 E96 z:?8D’ A=2J6CD 2?5 6I64FE:G6D =:G6]k^Am
kAm“|J H:76 😀 6I4:E65[ 2?5 >J 8C2?5<:5D 2C6 C62==J 6I4:E65[” w@==2?5 D2:5] “{6E >6 E6== J@F[ E96J’C6 =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ 4@>:?8 E@ {p[ H2E49:?8 D@>6 z:?8D 82>6D 2?5 8@:?8 E@ s:D?6J=2?5]”k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmp! }w{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^}w{k^2mk^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.