The LA Kings have named Tyler Wright as Director of Player Personnel, Travis Culhane as Assistant Video Coordinator, and Jonas Höglund and Brendan Daly as Scouts. They are the latest additions to the Hockey Operations staff, along with Derek Armstrong who joined the organization as a scout during the 2024-25 season.
Tyler Wright
Wright, 52, joins the Kings front office with 16 years of hockey executive experience between the Edmonton Oilers (2019-23), Detroit Red Wings (2013-19) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2010-13). Most recently with Edmonton, Wright served as the team’s Director of Player Personnel following a six-year stint as the Detroit Red Wings’ Director of Amateur Scouting. Prior to joining Detroit, Wright spent six years with the Columbus Blue Jackets, serving as Director of Player Development (2007-10) before assuming the Director of Amateur Scouting role for three seasons (2010-13).
A former first-round draft selection of the Edmonton Oilers, 12th overall in 1991, Wright was selected by Columbus in the 2000 expansion draft and played 309 games as a Blue Jacket, registering 57 goals and 51 assists for 108 points with 436 penalty minutes. He also served as an alternate captain during the 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons. His best campaign was the Jackets' inaugural 2000-01 season, when he posted a career-high 16 goals and 16 assists with a team-leading 140 penalty minutes. He was traded to Anaheim for former Red Wings' star Sergei Fedorov in Nov. 2005.
The Kamsack, Saskatchewan native appeared in 613 games over 13 NHL seasons, accumulating 149 points (79G, 70A) and 854 penalty minutes with the Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers. Wright also represented Team Canada at the 1992 and 1993 (gold medal) World Junior Hockey Championship and 2002 World Hockey Championship.
Travis Culhane
Travis Culhane, 30, joins the Kings video coaching staff following a four-year stint at the University of Denver from 2021-25 as the director of hockey operations. During his tenure at DU, Culhane helped the Pioneers capture two NCAA National Championships (2022, 2024), two Penrose Cups as National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) regular-season champions (2021-22, 2022-23) and the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship. Denver has also reached three NCAA Frozen Fours and has won at least 30 games in each of his four campaigns with the Pioneers program.
Internationally, Culhane served as the United States video coach on David Carle’s staff at the previous two International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championships in 2024 (Gothenburg, Sweden) and 2025 (Ottawa, Ontario), helping Team USA win gold medals in each tournament to mark the first time USA Hockey secured back-to-back World Junior gold medals in history.
The Kalamazoo, Michigan, native joined Denver’s staff after spending the previous two seasons with Colorado College in the same capacity (2019-21). Last season marked Culhane’s seventh campaign in the NCHC, as he also served as the director of hockey operations at Western Michigan University in 2018-19. A 2017 graduate of Western Michigan, Culhane worked in WMU’s hockey operations department as a student assistant beginning in 2015. He is the son of WMU Hockey Ring of Honor member and former Bronco defenseman and head coach Jim Culhane. Travis and his wife, Michelle, are expecting their first child in October of 2025.
Jonas Höglund
Höglund, 53, begins his first season in a scouting capacity with the LA Kings after spending the last 15 years as a private hockey instructor and recruiter. A native of Hammaro, Sweden, Hoglund appeared in 545 career NHL games across seven seasons split between the Toronto Maple Leafs (1999-03), Montreal Canadiens (1997-99) and Calgary Flames (1996-98) where he accumulated 117 goals and 262 points (117-145=262).
Hoglund also played in parts of 13 seasons of professional hockey in Europe, including 134 goals and 241 points (134-107=241) in 421 career games with between Färjestad BK and Södertälje SK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL; formerly Elitserien). His best professional season came in the 1999-00 campaign with Toronto where Hoglund recorded his first career 50-point season (29-27=56). Internationally, Hoglund represented his home country in five International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournaments, including four IIHF Men’s World Championships (2005, 2004 – silver, 2003 – silver, 1997 – silver), one Men’s World Junior Championship (1992) and one Men’s Under-18 European Junior Championship (1990 – gold).
Brendan Daly
Daly, 26, is set to enter his first season as a scout for the Kings. He has served in various capacities over parts of five seasons in professional hockey, including stints with the Washington Capitals (2019, 2023-24), USA Hockey (2019-22) and University of Rhode Island hockey program (2021-22). Daly also spent time with the Washington Nationals (2023) in their communications department. A graduate from the University of Rhode Island in 2022, Daly earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communication.
