The Los Angeles Kings haven’t been able to get past the Edmonton Oilers in the first round the last four years.
Now, they’re bringing in a former Oiler and a Stanley Cup winner to be the franchise’s 10th general manager.
The Kings announced the hiring of Ken Holland on Wednesday. He will replace Rob Blake, who had been Kings GM from 2017 until he and the team had agreed to part ways on May 5.
Holland, 69, had been with the Oilers from 2019 to 2024 but didn’t have his contract renewed after Edmonton’s run to Stanley Cup Final. He also won four Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 (as an assistant GM), 1998, 2002 and 2008 and has a .622 points percentage as a general manager.
“His track record of success is undeniable and after our conversations with him, we were clearly convinced he was the right person for us at this time,’ Kings president Luc Robitaille said in a statement. ‘He has the experience to lead us on the proper path that will help us win now and compete for the Stanley Cup.”
Robitaille played two seasons for Detroit under Holland, winning the Stanley Cup in 2002.
Holland inherits a Kings team that tied franchise records in wins and points last season. But the Oilers stood in their way again. This year’s loss was probably the most frustrating because the Kings led the series 2-0 before Edmonton won the next four games.
The Kings have most of their core locked in. Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov is a pending unrestricted free agent, as are backup goalie David Rittich and trade deadline acquisition Andrei Kuzmenko.
