Kings Fire Hiller, Smith Takes Helm

0:00It's April 22nd. This is California News Today, powered by AI, I'm Corey, with the story. The Los Angeles Kings just fired head coach Jim Hiller on Sunday, an assistant DJ, Smith steps in to lead the team through the rest of the 2025-26 season. Hiller jumped into the role back in February 2024, right after they parted ways with Todd McClellan. Before that, he ran the show as head coach for the Senators over nearly five seasons. His GM Ken Holland praised Hiller's dedication in the statement, calling him a top pro, but said this switch gives the squad the best shot to hit. They're stride now. The team struggle lately, dropping five straight in February before a win against the flames, and they sit fifth in the Pacific Division, just three, points from a wild card spot. Hiller leaves with a solid 93 wins against 58 losses in the regular season, but only three playoff victories in eight games. The Kings made the playoffs four years running, yet bowed out early each time to the Oilers.

1:00No deep runs since their Stanley Cup in 2014, so this shake-up aims to spark that fire and push them further as the season heats up.