Kings hire former Red Wings, Oilers exec Holland as new GM

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings hired Hall of Fame hockey executive Ken Holland as their general manager on Wednesday.

The 69-year-old Holland spent the past year out of the NHL after leaving the Edmonton Oilers in June 2024. He ran the Oilers for five seasons following the end of his 22-year tenure in charge of the Detroit Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cup championships during his three decades with the organization.

Holland replaces Rob Blake, who left the Kings by mutual decision earlier this month after eight seasons in charge of their hockey operations. Los Angeles has reached a franchise plateau after earning four straight playoff appearances, but losing to the Oilers in the first round each time.

Holland, a former goaltender who played four NHL games, is among the most respected and most successful hockey executives of the past half-century. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020 in the Builder category.

He built a perennial powerhouse in Detroit, repeatedly restocking his roster during the final 20 years of the Red Wings' remarkable string of 25 consecutive playoff appearances. That streak ended in 2017, and Holland left the Wings in 2019 to take over the Oilers.

Holland also had success in Edmonton, building a roster good enough to help Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl after the Oilers' years of underachievement around the two superstars. The Oilers made five playoff appearances and reached two Western Conference finals and one Stanley Cup Final during Holland's tenure, falling in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers last June.

Holland doesn't have a rebuilding job on his hands in Los Angeles. Instead, he must figure out how to get more out of a talented roster that has enjoyed consistent regular-season success before running into the Oilers every spring.

Los Angeles hasn't won a playoff series since raising the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2014. The current Kings matched the franchise records for victories (48) and points (105) this season, but lost four straight playoff games to Edmonton after winning the first two at home.

Kings President Luc Robitaille said last week that his new general manager would have final say on the fate of Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller, who took over in February 2024 and led the Kings to two playoff appearances. Robitaille also said he was quite confident Hiller would be retained by the next GM.

Hiller worked for Holland in the 2014-15 season when he was an assistant coach on Mike Babcock's staff with the Red Wings. Babcock and Hiller moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs the next season.

Holland is the 10th general manager in Kings history and only the fourth since 1997 for the Second Six franchise.

Blake replaced Dean Lombardi, who built Los Angeles' two Stanley Cup championship teams during 11 seasons in charge. Blake restored the Kings to playoff caliber, but Robitaille said Blake agreed that a new direction was best for the franchise after its latest first-round ouster.

Holland must make decisions on unrestricted free agents, including defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and forward Andrei Kuzmenko, who energized the Kings and their struggling power play when he arrived in a late-season trade.

He also must consider the fate of 36-year-old defenseman Drew Doughty, who missed much of last season with an injury and is due to make $11 million in each of the next two seasons with his only NHL team.

Los Angeles still has an impressive roster of veterans under contract, including Anze Kopitar. The Kings' longtime captain said he intends to return for his 20th season with the club.

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