5 Takeaways From Peter Laviolette's Introductory Press Conference!

Welcome to the Peter Laviolette era.

For starters, this is the first Laviolette-inspired story of the week here but it will not be the last. We had the chance to chat with him following the press conference in a more controlled setting and I really liked a few of the things he said about his approach coming into Los Angeles. 

That interview should drop tomorrow or Friday and I will share it on here once it is out!

For starters, let’s look at today’s press conference. For the first time in a long time, this feels like a real change for the Kings. This isn’t more of the same. It’s a new approach, driven by a coach who has been around and found success in a lot of other places and he has done so in different ways than we've seen the Kings try to do so in recent times. That is a good step forward, for a team that has come up short. 

Laviolette is one of four coaches in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Final with three different organizations. His teams have a consistent track record of being successful early in his time, with five of his six teams coached improving their playoff standing in his first season behind the bench. As for the why Laviolette, those things factored in for Kings General Manager Ken Holland, among others. 

Here are 5 takeaways from today’s press conference, which is embedded in full below for reference –

So, Ken Holland. Why Peter Laviolette?
“Peter builds relationships, he creates a positive culture, he’s a motivator and he’s a winner. He’s the seventh-winningest coach in the history of the NHL and he’s taken three teams to the Stanley Cup Final……I talked to a lot of people that have worked with Lavy and everyone was very, very positive about what he could bring to the LA Kings. When you look at his resume, all of the teams that he’s been with and 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.”

The resume here speaks for itself and Holland's process surrounding this hire led him down this path. 

Holland’s process lasted around a month in total and landed with Laviolette as a stand-out candidate. 

As he stated today, he began really diving into things in early-May. It was Holland who led the process for hiring a new Head Coach. It was Holland who made the final decision on Laviolette, after leading the interview process. As he said today, he really had no formal relationship with Laviolette before this process got underway, which I think validates what the process was, how it operated and how it was different than perhaps what we've seen here sometimes in the past.

Holland’s process was that of gathering information. His list of candidates for this position was not 20 names long but his due diligence included substantially more than just interviewing the coaches themselves. Perhaps just as important to Laviolette’s interview were the conversations Holland had with people he trusted about their experiences with Laviolette. Involved in that process were players who played under Laviolette, including current Kings forward Artemi Panarin, who had his highest-scoring season in the NHL under Laviolette in 2023-24. 

Laviolette's body of work is substantial and towards the top of the list when you factor in available coaches. Combined with the vetting, if you will, done by Holland, the choice became fairly easy for him. 

How Laviolette Operates Differently
The word that stood out to me was attack.

“Peter builds relationships, he creates a positive culture, he’s a motivator and he’s a winner. He’s the seventh-winningest coach in the history of the NHL and he’s taken three teams to the Stanley Cup Final……I talked to a lot of people that have worked with Lavy and everyone was very, very positive about what he could bring to the LA Kings. When you look at his resume, all of the teams that he’s been with and 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.”

The resume here speaks for itself and Holland's process surrounding this hire led him down this path. 

Holland’s process lasted around a month in total and landed with Laviolette as a stand-out candidate. 

As he stated today, he began really diving into things in early-May. It was Holland who led the process for hiring a new Head Coach. It was Holland who made the final decision on Laviolette, after leading the interview process. As he said today, he really had no formal relationship with Laviolette before this process got underway, which I think validates what the process was, how it operated and how it was different than perhaps what we've seen here sometimes in the past.

Holland’s process was that of gathering information. His list of candidates for this position was not 20 names long but his due diligence included substantially more than just interviewing the coaches themselves. Perhaps just as important to Laviolette’s interview were the conversations Holland had with people he trusted about their experiences with Laviolette. Involved in that process were players who played under Laviolette, including current Kings forward Artemi Panarin, who had his highest-scoring season in the NHL under Laviolette in 2023-24. 

Laviolette's body of work is substantial and towards the top of the list when you factor in available coaches. Combined with the vetting, if you will, done by Holland, the choice became fairly easy for him. 

How Laviolette Operates Differently
The word that stood out to me was attack.

Laviolette pointed to the playoffs and the Stanley Cup Final, which is ongoing, and the style of hockey being played. Two teams creating offense, playing with speed and pace, working to generate offense. He spoke at length about his approach to the game from that perspective, which deviates from the brand of hockey the Kings have preached for several years. 

“Through my experiences and even just watching the playoffs right now, this is an attack-orientated game. You have to be willing to move, you have to be able to have a plan in place when there's no offense available. I think 5-on-5 is the hardest way to score a goal, when there's 10 guys in the zone, there's got to be a plan and we'll work on that plan from day one of camp. That attack mode for me is something that I've believed in my whole life. I do think that we have the personnel here to execute that style and execute that plan. It can't be reckless, but there has to be a plan to attack and we'll work on that.”

It's a welcomed change for sure, from an organization that has prioritized defense-first for so long. The game has changed and the Kings are taking that first step towards recognizing that change.  

Alongside that, Holland said that he will consult with Laviolette when it comes to personnel changes that could come over the summer. Naturally, there is nothing to report today. However, Holland met with several teams during the NHL Combine last week and is continue to work towards things as it comes to shaping his roster for next season. Laviolette's voice will be included in those decisions, now that he is on board. Now, you can't build a perfect roster in one summer to stylistically change things and there will be a lot of holdovers. Certain players will need to play better and likely differently to succeed in this style and system and Laviolette believes he can succeed with what is here. However, it seemed to be understood that the Kings are working on some things on the roster side as well. They certainly have to be at center, considering who is currently under contract. How they play out or if those things play out, I suppose we'll see. Regardless, Laviolette is going to implement some changes of his own on the ice, with the players he has in front of him. 

"We've got to get back to scoring more goals. Part of that is going to be personnel driven, part of that's going to be probably style of play driven, mentality driven. Certainly the head coach has a lot to do with that."

Bread Still On The Menu
The Peter Laviolette / Artemi Panarin connection worked quite well in New York.

Panarin will begin his first full season with the Kings this coming fall and it was his last first season with Laviolette that still stands as his most productive in the NHL. Panarin posted a career-high 120 points in the 2023-24 campaign with the New York Rangers, Laviolette's debut campaign behind the bench with the organization. As Holland said, Panarin was consulted for his opinions on Laviolette in the process and here he is as the team's new Head Coach, so I'd find it hard to believe there were any objections given. 

From Laviolette's side, he was extremely complimentary of Panarin as a player and person and he was quite excited to have the chance to work with him again.

"He's an extremely talented person. Some people, I think, have elite skills and I think he has elite skills. We just had a relationship where, I think it's important to get to know people and work at that - and I'm going to work hard to do that here with all the players and all the staff inside of the Kings family - but he also has the ability to be a game-breaker and a difference-maker. He's not just a goalscorer, he's not just a playmaker, he's elusive, he's shifty, he can change a game on any given night I'm really excited to work with him again. I loved working with him in New York and now I get that opportunity again."

Panarin will be a focal point for the Kings this season. He was over a point-per-game player after the deadline and I think the ceiling is even a bit higher with a full 82 games. With a coach he has excelled with in the past and the chance to establish consistency from Day 1, there should be optimism surrounding the fit there. 

3 Core Values
I also wanted to share the values that Laviolette believes in as the core foundation to what he offers as a coach.

In his opening remarks, Laviolette spoke about three principles -

1. Family Inside The Locker Room
2. Building A Culture
3. Working Daily On Your Game

These are cliches when you look at them as a list, but the way he spoke about them offered a lot more detail. It's about building a team within the room that expands beyond just the players that cares for and about each other, that plays and battles for each other. It's about making decisions and choices that go towards building a culture for the collective. It's about the on-ice work put into getting better at playing the game the way that he wants it to be played. It's not going to change on Day 1 but Day 5 has to be better than Day 1. Doesn't get so without buy in and work. There's a lot in this and he spoke about it differently when we spoke after the press conference. Tons of detail in what he's looking to do, starting with the first day of training camp. 

Looking forward to getting the second video out as well, where I think he goes into further detail on things that are important to him coming into a new team and where he plans to start. 

Remainder Of The Coaching Staff
Lastly, there was nothing formal to share with regards to the rest of the coaching staff. 

Holland said that he believes it is important for Laviolette to be able to choose the makeup of his staff. That comes down to current coaches who are here, internal retention, versions the prospect of adding anyone from outside the organization.

Holland said that Laviolette brought one name to him specifically, though neither was willing to share who that was. Sounds like that would proceed. However, it's about more than just one person. Last season, the Kings had three assistant coaches, a goaltending coach and two video coaches. The Kings have some talented coaches in place who could remain on staff and Laviolette will meet with those individuals this week while he is in Los Angeles. Doesn't sound as if he's looking to drag things out, but wants to evaluate everything he can and give a fair shake, which is how it should go. 

Holland added that D.J. Smith will not return as an assistant or associate coach. when he spoke with Smith at the start of the week, he said that he decided to move on to other opportunities. Can't imagine he will be out of work for very long, if he wants another assistant coaching role. 

Full video is shown below for those who would like to watch!