Kings fire McLellan, name Hiller interim head coach

The Los Angeles Kings fired head coach Todd McLellan on Friday and named Jim Hiller his interim replacement.

McLellan was in his fifth season with the club. Los Angeles has dropped to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference after losing 14 of its last 17 games leading up to the All-Star break.

"We want to thank Todd for his hard work and dedication to the organization," general manager Rob Blake said in a 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.

"Jim is a well-respected member of our staff who is familiar with our players. We are confident in his ability to lead our team effectively during this pivotal time."

Hiller has been an assistant coach with the Kings for the past two seasons. He's served the same role for the New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings throughout his career but has never been an NHL head coach.

McLellan guided the Kings to third-place finishes in the Pacific Division each of the past two seasons but lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs both times. The 56-year-old coached Los Angeles to a 164-130-44 record after being hired in 2019.

He's also helmed the San Jose Sharks and Oilers over a head coaching career that's spanned 1,114 games.

The Kings' first game under Hiller is scheduled for Feb. 10 against Edmonton.