The LA Kings have named Phil Housley Associate Head Coach, and Chris Hajt and Ray Whitney as Assistant Coaches. The three will join Assistant Coach Derik Johnson and Goaltending Coach Mike Buckley to complete Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff.
Housley, 62, joins the Kings organization with over a decade of coaching experience at the NHL level having most recently served as an assistant coach for the New York Rangers under Peter Laviolette for two seasons (2023-25). Prior to that, Housley was an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes for three seasons (2019-22) and previously served as head coach for the Buffalo Sabres (2017-19).
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, Housley began his NHL coaching career as an assistant with the Nashville Predators for four seasons (2013-17), also working under Laviolette during that time, where he helped guide the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history in 2017. While with Nashville, the team led the league in goals by defensemen two of his four years behind the bench (2014-16) and finished in the top-two each of his four seasons.
A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Housley has coached Team USA in six International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) tournaments, including three IIHF Men’s World Junior Championships (2007 – bronze, 2011 – bronze, 2013 – gold) and three IIHF Men’s World Championships (2011, 2013 – bronze, 2014).
As a player, Housley was drafted sixth overall by Buffalo in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft and is a veteran of 1,495 career NHL games across parts of 21 seasons between the Sabres (1982-90), Winnipeg Jets (1990-93), St. Louis Blues (1993-94), Calgary Flames (1994-96, 1998-01), New Jersey Devils (1995-96), Washington Capitals (1996-98), Chicago Blackhawks (2001-03) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2002-03). Over his playing career, Housley amassed 338 goals and 1,232 points (338-894=1,232), both of which are the fourth-most among all defensemen in NHL history, while earning NHL All-Star honors seven times (1984, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000). Internationally, Housley won gold at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in addition to his three medals as a coach. He is also a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (Class of 2004) and IIHF Hall of Fame (Class of 2012).
Hajt, 47, joins Laviolette’s coaching staff after completing his ninth season (2015-17, 2019-26) with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, where he most recently served as an associate coach. During the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, Hajt was as an assistant coach with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres on Phil Housley‘s staff, who now serves as the Kings’ associate coach.
He also spent one season as an assistant coach with the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) in 2014-15, where he was part of the 2015 Calder Cup Championship team. With Ontario, Hajt helped the Reign qualify for the playoffs on six occasions (2015, 2016, 2022-26), including two division titles (2016, 2026), and Western Conference Finals appearance (2016).
The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native was also a part of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Guelph Storm from 2008-14 as an assistant coach for six seasons and as the team’s assistant general manager for one, where he helped lead the Storm to the 2014 OHL Championship and a second-place finish in the 2014 Memorial Cup.
As a player, Hajt skated in 582 career professional games across six leagues, including six games with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals. The former blueliner appeared in 477 AHL games with Hamilton, Portland, and Lowell and had stints in the ECHL, DEL, Liiga, and Serie A.
Whitney, 54, joins the NHL coaching ranks with more than two decades of NHL experience as a player, having played in 1,330 career regular-season games over 22 seasons with the San Jose Sharks (1991-97), Edmonton Oilers (1997-98), Florida Panthers (1997-01), Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-03), Detroit Red Wings (2003-04), Carolina Hurricanes (2005-10), Phoenix Coyotes (2010-12) and Dallas Stars (2012-14).
Selected 23rd overall by San Jose in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Whitney was the second player ever drafted by the Sharks in franchise history. Among all NHL skaters who played during his 22-year career, Whitney ranked fifth in games played (1,330) and 12th in both assists (679) and points (1,064). He is one of 42 forwards in league history to have at least 1,000 points while appearing in 1,300 or more games.
Whitney also totaled 21 goals and 53 points (21-32=53) in 108 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests. His postseason success is highlighted by his 15-point performance (9-6=15) during the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, helping Carolina capture their first Stanley Cup Championship in franchise history under head coach Peter Laviolette.
A native of Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Whitney represented Team Canada in four IIHF Men’s World Championships (1998, 1999, 2002, 2010). He also served as an assistant general manager for Canada at the 2023 Spengler Cup. Following his playing career, Whitney spent three seasons (2015-18) as a pro scout for Carolina before coaching his son, Hudson, on the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 15U, 16U and 18U teams.
