Unless you’re the charmingly eccentric Emmett “Doc” Brown in the 1985 theatrical smash “Back to the Future,” capable of constructing a working time machine, harnessing the power of a lightning strike from yesteryear probably isn’t going to happen.
The struggling Los Angeles Kings decided to take a shot against those astronomical odds anyway, hoping that a midseason coaching change will conjure the same kind of magic as in 2012, when the National Hockey League club won the first of two Stanley Cup championships in a span of three seasons.
In a move that had been widely expected around the NHL landscape, given their 3–8–6 record and standings freefall since just after Christmas, the Kings on Feb. 2 announced the firing of Coach Todd McLellan as the league was celebrating all-star weekend in Toronto.
Instead of going outside the organization for a replacement, as they did when ousting Terry Murray and bringing in Darryl Sutter in a swap of respected veteran coaches 12 years ago, the Kings promoted one of Mr. McLellan’s former assistants, Jim Hiller, to take over for the remainder of the season on an interim basis.
“We want to thank Todd for his hard work and dedication,” General Manager Rob Blake said in a statement released by the team. “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.”
No doubt, it was an exceedingly difficult call given the personal history between the two. A former defenseman who spent the bulk of his Hall of Fame career with the Kings, Mr. Blake played his final two NHL seasons for Mr. McLellan when he coached the San Jose Sharks.
Still, such moves are exactly what NHL teams make when times get tough. They can’t replace all the players, so the coach pays the price. Mr. McLellan is the unlucky 13th man to lose a head-coaching position since the conclusion of last season.
Mr. McLellan, 56, arrived in Los Angeles in 2019 after having previously served as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, as well as the Sharks. Shortly thereafter, the rival Anaheim Ducks hired Dallas Eakins. Mired in an excruciatingly slow rebuild that has them on track for a sixth consecutive non-playoff campaign, the Ducks severed ties with Mr. Eakins after last season.
The Kings, though, had shown promising signs during their own rebuild. An influx of talented young players around aging core veterans Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty helped the team snap a three-year post-season drought, but the Kings suffered opening-round playoff losses to Edmonton each of the past two seasons.
Still, the organization promoted the idea of a rapid return to Stanley Cup contention, and Mr. Blake aggressively added veterans such as centers Pierre-Luc Dubois and Phillip Danault, wingers Kevin Fiala and Viktor Arvidsson, and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov via trades and free agency.
Some of those moves have worked out better than others. Arvidsson hasn’t played all season because of recurring back issues, and the travails of Dubois have been particularly notable.
Acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in June and subsequently signed to an eight-year, $68 million contract, Dubois has just 10 goals and 20 points, along with an unsightly, team-worst minus-16 mark, in 40 games this season.
Contrary to Mr. Sutter, who inherited superstar Jonathan Quick in his prime upon being hired 12 years ago, Mr. McLellan, like so many Kings coaches before him, also had to deal with often-suspect goaltending.
After signing Cal Petersen to a three-year, $15 million contract extension in 2021, the Kings soured on the young netminder and sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a three-team trade after last season. Los Angeles is currently making do in net with journeymen Cam Talbot and David Rittich.
Perhaps burdened by unrealistic expectations on the heels of last year’s 47–25–10 regular-season finish, the Kings nonetheless got off to a great start this season.
An NHL-record, 11-game road winning streak at the outset fueled a 20–7–4 burst that vaulted the Kings near the top of the Pacific Division, but they now sit 23–15–10, with merely a precarious hold on a Western Conference wild-card playoff position. A 4–2 victory Jan. 31 at Nashville in the team’s final game before the all-star break was not enough to save Mr. McLellan’s job.
Formerly an assistant coach under Mike Babcock for three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, including when they won the Stanley Cup in 2008, Mr. McLellan leaves Los Angeles having compiled a 164–130–44 record in four-plus seasons. He owns a career NHL coaching mark of 598–412–134, with nine playoff appearances, over 14 full seasons and parts of two others.
Initially signed to a five-year contract worth close to $5 million annually, Mr. McLellan last year received an extension that carried through next season.
Mr. Hiller, 54, is a former winger who played 40 games for the Kings in 1992–93, when they reached the Stanley Cup Final only to lose to the Montreal Canadiens. He was in his second season as an assistant coach with Los Angeles, after having spent the previous eight years working in the same capacity with Detroit, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the New York Islanders.
“Jim is a respected member of our staff who is familiar with our players,” Mr. Blake said in the club’s statement. “We are confident in his ability to lead our team effectively during this pivotal time.”
The Kings will return to action Feb. 10 against the visiting Oilers before embarking on a four-game road trip to Buffalo, New Jersey, Boston, and Pittsburgh.
