The Los Angeles Kings have hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach on a three-year contract, and this was confirmed according to sources who spoke to ESPN.

This is a major step that ends a competitive pursuit between both the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were too interested in the same coach.

The 61-year-old, Peter Laviolette, has an experience of nearly three decades of coaching experience. He is known to be one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport.

He has coached 1,594 career regular-season games and 170 playoff games. Peter also won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

He then reached the Finals again twice more with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017. 

Right before joining the Kings, Peter had coached other teams. Those teams include the New York Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers.

The Kings had been searching for a permanent head coach ever since they fired Jim Hiller after the Olympic season. And D.J. Smith continues as interim head coach until Laviolette is hired.

From Peter’s first NHL experience with the Islanders, who had missed the playoffs seven straight seasons before qualifying after his arrival. They then went on to win the Stanley Cup in Carolina. He has gone on to give quick results at each stop. 

Laviolette did not coach in the 2025-26 NHL season after the Rangers fired him after his two years in New York. But his hiring now closes the Los Angeles Kings’ search for a new coach, with the other two teams beginning to explore the other options.

What Peter Laviolette's Hiring Means for Edmonton and Toronto

With multiple reports booming after this situation, NHL Insiders, including Frank Seravalli, have confirmed that both the Oilers and the Maple Leafs had previously interviewed Laviolette and that he was expected to be the first option for both teams. 

The Maple Leafs fired head coach Craig Berube around May. This happened immediately after the team got John Chayka as general manager.

Toronto ended up missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons in 2025–26. They finished with a record of 32-36-14. 

Edmonton had continued its search for a new coach for the past 4 weeks, ever since the Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch on May 14. The team had also spoken with former Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube. They had been in contact with Laviolette for a while before he chose Los Angeles. 

Both teams still have a good amount of options available. The Oilers and Maple Leafs still have plenty of time to look for a coach.

But each team has its own set of problems, with Connor McDavid's contract window reducing day by day, and Toronto’s new front office that’s determined to get past a difficult season.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Koushik Biswas