Kings fire Jim Hiller, tab D.J. Smith as interim coach

The Los Angeles Kings fired head coach Jim Hiller after parts of three seasons on Sunday and tabbed D.J. Smith as their interim coach for the remainder of the campaign.

The Kings also named player development coach Matt Greene as an assistant coach.

Los Angeles (24-21-14, 62 points) was three points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference entering play on Sunday. The Kings dropped the first two games following the Olympic break -- including a lopsided 8-1 decision to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday in which fans repeatedly chanted "Fire Hiller" -- before posting a 2-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

Hiller, 56, owns a 93-58-24 record in 175 games behind the bench for Los Angeles. He originally joined the Kings as an assistant coach in July 2022 after stints as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings (2014-15), Toronto Maple Leafs (2015-19) and New York Islanders (2019-22).

"I want to thank Jim Hiller for his dedication, professionalism, and the commitment he showed to our players and our team every day. He is a respected coach and person, and we appreciate the work he's done behind our bench," Kings vice president and general manager Ken Holland said. "At this point in the season, we believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect. These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward."

As a player, Hiller posted 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) and 116 penalty minutes in 63 career games with the Kings, Red Wings and New York Rangers. He was selected by the Kings in the 10th round of the 1989 NHL Draft.

Smith, 48, served as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2019-24, compiling a 131-154-32 record before joining Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2024. He also served as an assistant coach for the Maple Leafs (2015-19).