Peter Laviolette Lands His Next Job As Head Coach in the NHL

He was thought to be a leading contender for a couple of teams' head coach openings, but it's official now: Peter Laviolette is the new bench boss of the Los Angeles Kings.

Peter Laviolette will be the next Head Coach of the Los Angeles Kings pic.twitter.com/Eilr6zgvtn
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 8, 2026

DJ Smith, the incumbent, was told within the past 24 hours that he was out of the running to retain the job.

Laviolette is seventh on the NHL's all-time head coaching wins list. His last gig was with the New York Rangers for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. He posted a 94-59-11 record with the Blueshirts, while leading them to the Eastern Conference Final in 2024.

In his 23 years as a head coach, he's also called the shots for the Nashville Predators, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and New York Islanders, in addition to the Rangers.

He took the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup victory in 2006. He also led the Predators and the Flyers to the Finals.

The 61-year-old was also being considered for the vacant Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers head coaching jobs, according to reports.