News from the Pacific Division, as one of the Vancouver Canucks’ rivals has fired their head coach.
Todd McLellan is out of a job, with the Los Angeles Kings firing him this morning. Jim Hiller has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
It’s quite the turn of events for the Kings, who just a few weeks ago looked like they might challenge the Canucks for the division title. In fact, on December 27, they had the best points percentage (.710) of all Pacific Division teams.
Since then, LA has been in a tailspin, losing all but three of their last 17 games (3-8-6) before the All-Star break. Drew Doughty ripped his teammates last week after they blew a lead against the Buffalo Sabres.
“We’ve got guys in this room that are too worried about themselves, worried about their points,” Doughty told reporters. “We had a 3-1 lead tonight, and guys started thinking it was a cookie night.”
The Kings are currently in the first wild card position in the Western Conference, trailing the Edmonton Oilers by three points for third place in the Pacific Division. They’re 15 points behind Vancouver.
The Kings have fallen in the standings.
“We want to thank Todd for his hard work and dedication to the organization,” said Kings VP and GM Rob Blake.
“He has done a tremendous job in moving us forward and making a positive impact on our group and in our community. This was not an easy decision, but we felt the change was necessary at this time. Jim is a well-respected member of our staff who is familiar with our players. We are confident in his ability to lead our team effectively during this pivotal time.”
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