LOS ANGELES – Todd McLellan was hired as the new coach of the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, taking over a two-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise that slumped to the NHL's second-worst record this season.
McLellan replaces Willie Desjardins, who wasn't retained after he replaced John Stevens early in the season and did little to halt the Kings' precipitous slide. Although much of the core talent remains from the Kings' championship-winning teams in 2012 and 2014, Los Angeles finished 31-42-9 in its worst season since 2007-08.
McLellan, 51, has ample experience with two of the Kings' Pacific Division rivals. He spent seven years as the coach of the San Jose Sharks, making six playoff appearances from 2009 to '14 and reaching two Western Conference finals. After getting fired in 2015, McLellan spent more than three seasons in charge of the Edmonton Oilers, somewhat reviving the long-struggling franchise. He was fired Nov. 20 after a 9-10-1 start to the season.
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