- Peter Laviolette held his introductory press conference Wednesday in El Segundo
- He wants the Kings to play an attacking style after a 29th-ranked offense
- Read below for what Laviolette said about reuniting with Artemi Panarin
Peter Laviolette didn’t waste time telling the Kings what he wants from them.
The new head coach held his introductory press conference Wednesday in El Segundo, a day after Los Angeles hired him to replace interim coach D.J. Smith. His message was simple. He wants this team to attack, and he’s thrilled to have Artemi Panarin to do it with.
Laviolette was asked about the kind of hockey he plans to play in Los Angeles.
“Through my experiences, and even just watching the playoffs right now, this is an attack-orientated game, and you have to be willing to move,” Laviolette said. “I do think that we have the personnel here to execute that style and execute that play. Again, it can’t be reckless, but there has to be a plan to attack, and we’ll work on that.”
Watch Laviolette’s full introductory presser:
The Kings could use it. They finished 29th in scoring this season at 2.68 goals per game, then managed just five goals in a four-game sweep by Colorado in the first round. Only two of those came at even strength.
Los Angeles made the hire official Tuesday, with vice president and general manager Ken Holland landing Laviolette for his seventh NHL head coaching job.
Part of the pull for Laviolette was a familiar face. The Kings picked up Artemi Panarin in a February trade, and Laviolette coached him during their time together with the Rangers.
Laviolette talked about getting to work with the winger again.
“He’s one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached, and I’m really happy to get to work with him again,” Laviolette said.
Panarin gives Laviolette a real weapon up front, next to Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala. The harder question sits down the middle, where the Kings lost Anze Kopitar to retirement. Their blue line didn’t generate much either, with Brandt Clarke and Drew Doughty the only defensemen to reach five goals.
Laviolette has flipped offenses before. His Rangers finished seventh in goals and won the Presidents’ Trophy in his first season behind the bench, with Panarin piling up a career-high 120 points. He’ll try to pull off something close to that in Los Angeles.
