Peter Laviolette has just been hired as head coach of Western Conference team
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Daniel Lucente
Jun 8, 2026 (2:42 PM)
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Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Reports confirm that Laviolette will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, ending a coaching search that also drew interest from Toronto and Edmonton.
The natural reaction is to wonder whether the Maple Leafs and Oilers made a mistake by not closing the deal.
They didn't. Elliotte Friedman revealed over the weekend that there was a moment Saturday morning when he believed Toronto was going to hire Laviolette.
The Leafs got right to the edge and then stepped back. That is not a team that got outmaneuvered.
That is a team that made a deliberate choice.
What the pullback actually reveals
Laviolette's resume speaks for itself. A Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006, three different franchises taken to the Final, and over 800 career wins.
Ken Holland and the Kings are getting a coach who will bring immediate structure and credibility to a group that has lost in the first round for five consecutive years.
But Laviolette's career also carries a pattern that a rebuilding organization cannot ignore.
He tends to deliver a strong first-year jolt and then see diminishing returns. The Rangers went from a Presidents' Trophy to missing the playoffs entirely within one season under his watch.
Nashville, Philadelphia, and Washington all followed a similar arc.
John Chayka has spoken to 55 candidates in this search. That is not a front office looking for a quick fix.
That is a front office building a long-term coaching infrastructure from the ground up.
Walking away from Laviolette at the last moment tells you Chayka has a specific profile in mind, and veteran coaches riding past reputations do not fit it.
Edmonton also has their eyes set on Bruce Cassidy which tells you their interest in Laviolette was likely never deep.
What this means for the Kings
Los Angeles gets a coach perfectly suited to their window. They have an aging core that needs one more serious push, and Laviolette's first-year energy is tailor-made for that situation.
This is a smart hire for a team that cannot afford patience.
Toronto and Edmonton can afford a little more patience over the next few weeks. That is exactly why they passed.
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