- Kings add Hall of Famer Phil Housley and former NHL forward Ray Whitney to Peter Laviolette’s staff
- David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the moves, with Newell Brown not returning
- Read below for what each new assistant brings and how it ties to a shifting Kings blue line
The Kings are filling out Peter Laviolette’s bench.
Los Angeles hired Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley and longtime NHL forward Ray Whitney as assistant coaches. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the moves.
Newell Brown won’t return after two seasons on the staff.
Chris Hajt is moving up too. The longtime Ontario Reign assistant joins the NHL bench to work alongside Housley on defense.
Housley is the headliner. He went into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 after a 21-year playing career, and he remains the highest-scoring American-born defenseman in league history with 1,232 points. He has coached in the NHL since 2013, with stops in Nashville, Buffalo, Arizona and New York, including two seasons as Buffalo’s head coach.
He already knows Laviolette. The two worked together on the Rangers’ staff, so this isn’t a cold start for either guy.
Here’s a look back at what Housley could do as a player:
Whitney brings the other side of the game. The forward they called The Wizard piled up 1,064 points across 1,330 games before he retired in 2015, and now he steps behind an NHL bench for the first time.
Take a look at Whitney’s journeyman career:
A changing blue line greets the new staff. Drew Doughty is expected to hand top-pair duties to Brandt Clarke, who put up 40 points last season and just signed a five-year extension. Housley’s job is to speed that handoff along.
Laviolette wanted a fresh voice on the back end and a creative mind up front. He landed a Hall of Famer and a Wizard.
