Kings head coach Peter Laviolette introduces himself to LA

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – There were two things that drew Peter Laviolette to the Los Angeles Kings: Artemi Panarin and the Pacific Ocean.

Laviolette coached Panarin from 2023-25 when the pair were both with the New York Rangers and when it comes to the allure of the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles weather, many Los Angeles-based teams' strongest bargaining chip, that almost speaks for itself for both him and his wife Kristen and apparently, their three adult children.

"Kristen and I… were thinking that 'This is it. This is the chance to move into the area here and get ourselves a nice one bedroom where you can rent it, see the water.' We laid that to the family and the plan of what we were going to do when we got out here and the last thing they said… 'Make sure you get a four bedroom.' I think they might be coming," Laviolette said.

The Kings found a proven winner in Laviolette to serve at the helm of the team when they signed him on a three-year deal as the team's newest head coach. Laviolette is the seventh-winningest head coach in NHL history with 846 wins across six teams under his belt along with both a Stanley Cup and a Calder Cup in the AHL. 

Now, Laviolette plans to bring that winning approach to the Kings, who have made the playoffs in five straight seasons and also been first-round exits in five straight seasons, and help them hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2014. 

Laviolette's Winning History

"When you look at his resume, all the teams that he's been with, the impact that he's had on those teams the first couple of years, right off the bat… pro hockey is hard to win at and he's done a lot of winning," Kings general manager Ken Holland said. "In our talks and his presentations about things that are important to him, I believe are key traits in getting the most out of your team."

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

The Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland introduces new Head Coach Peter Laviolette on June 10, 2026 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, CA.

There are a number of tasks ahead of any head coach when they first join a new team, but chiefly among those tasks is actually making an introduction to both their new team and new city and then, establish a culture of their own design within the locker room. 

For the city, Laviolette did that in the locker room of the Toyota Sports Performance Center on Wednesday before a crowd of reporters intrigued to see what his vision will be for the now Anze Kopitar-less Kings as they embark into a new era. 

When it comes to the team itself and the culture around it, Laviolette first and foremost wants to make sure that the Kings are a team that not only plays together, but enjoys each other.

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

The Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland introduces new Head Coach Peter Laviolette on June 10, 2026 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, CA.

Building Culture

He spoke at length about wanting to promote a family-like atmosphere around the team and in the process promote the kind of connectivity that ideally leads to playoff runs and championships. 

Laviolette's insistence on bonding the team together is something he draws on from his days both playing and coaching in minor league hockey and seeing the effect that camaraderie had at those lower levels. 

"The minors – everybody's tight, everybody believes in their camaraderie, the staff, the coaches," Laviolette said. "What I've learned as a coach is that you can't just hope that this happens to your team. It's like your forecheck or your defensive zone coverage or your power play."

Laviolette continued, "It would be hard to be good at it if you don't practice it, if you don't work at it, if you don't put people in positions where they can get to know each other, that they can drop down the wall a little bit and say hi to somebody and get to know their family… It's just my experience that teams that care about each other, they're willing to play hard for each other."

Jessica Cryderman – The Sporting Tribune

The Los Angeles Kings General Manager Ken Holland introduces new Head Coach Peter Laviolette on June 10, 2026 at the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, CA.

Once a culture is established, the next task for Laviolette is on the technical side. The Kings in recent years have built their brand of hockey on a defense-first approach, playig conservatively to limit their opponents and in turn, will themselves to success. 

Adding Offense

Laviolette isn't about to depart from an emphasis on defense, but he's looking to promote a more balanced roster as well and bring in the kind of offensive aggression that the teams he's coached in the past have become known for. 

"I have a belief in the way that the game should be played and I don't think it should be irresponsible of defense," Laviolette said. "But I also, through my experiences… this is an attack-orientated game and you have to be willing to move. You have to be able to have a plan in place when there's no offense available… It can't be reckless, but there has to be a plan to attack and we'll work on that."

There's also the personnel side of things for Laviolette to sort out. Any head coach coming into a new franchise is likely to shake up at least some of the staff around them and try to bring in people they're comfortable with as well. 

With his hiring being so fresh and with a long offseason ahead of him, Laviolette hasn't made any hard decisions about what his staff will look like yet. 

At least one name was thrown out during his introductory press conference, Phil Housley, who is a Hall of Fame player and was Laviolette's assistant coach with the Rangers, but Laviolette also said he's going to take the time to meet with the existing Kings coaching staff before any decisions are made. 

For now, Laviolette is happy to be in Los Angeles and happy to get started bringing back long term success with the Kings.

"Through a lot of years and stops along my way, like I said, I've realized what makes teams successful," Laviolette said. "So, I feel confident in my ability to come in and do exactly what I said with regard to that family, that culture, and that game plan on the ice… I'll rely on that as I come in as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings."