LA Kings Remember Former Head Coach Tom Webster

Tom Webster served as the head coach of the Kings for three seasons from 1989-92. In those three seasons the Kings reached the playoffs each time, advancing to the second round in each of his first two seasons.

"It is very sad news for our organization. Coach Webster was a great man and my head coach for three seasons," said Luc Robitaille. "He was also a tremendous part of a lot of the success our team enjoyed when Wayne Gretzky was playing in Los Angeles in particular."

With Webster behind the Kings bench in 1990-91, the Kings captured the franchise's lone divisional title after compiling a 46-24-10 record. That Smythe Division-winning squad was led by Gretzky (163 points), Robitaille (91) and Tomas Sandstrom (89) with Kelly Hrudey and Daniel Berthiaume both playing significant roles in net.

"It is disappointing for sure to hear this news," said Dave Taylor. "Tom was a good guy who came to LA at a time when he has some pretty darn good teams there with Gretz having arrived and all.

"He is what I would call a 'players-coach' and he treated the players with a lot of respect. He was well-liked amongst our group. Being an ex-player himself, I would call him more of an offensive-minded coach - he was that way himself as a player - but it was mostly how he handled guys. He respected the players and got his point across that way."

The 163 points by Gretzky, in fact, was the second highest total of his eight-plus seasons in a Kings uniform as The Great One garnered Hart and Byng trophies at season's end.

That season Webster was the runner-up for the Adams Trophy as the NHL's Coach of the Year after helping guide the club to the third-best record in the NHL. He also at end of that campaign was recognized as The Sporting News' top bench boss after the Kings sported the best goals for/goals differential (plus-86).

Another highlight during Webster's time in Los Angeles was his first year…a season that saw the underdog Kings upset the defending Stanley Cup-champion in Calgary Flames in six games in their first round match-up. Earlier that season Webster was hindered by an inner ear ailment that required surgery and forced him to miss 15 games.

Webster also made NHL history as a King when in November of 1991 he hit referee Kerry Fraser in the foot with a thrown stick. Webster was then hit with the biggest suspension ever handed an NHL coach - 12 games - and the Kings were fined $10,000.

Prior to his run in Southern California Webster was the head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires, a tenure highlighted by a Robertson Cup title in 1988. He also had coaching stops in Adirondack (AHL), Tulsa (CHL), Salt Lake City (IHL) and in New York with the Rangers - he coached 16 games for that organization in 1986-87.

Webster later served as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and Hartford Whalers. His final four seasons in a coaching capacity were from 1999-03 as he returned to Windsor.

"When he went back to Windsor, I know he had a strong hand in helping a lot of those kids turn pro," Taylor said.

A native of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Webster's playing career included 102 NHL games played - mostly with Boston - and a six-year run in the old World Hockey Association League where he recorded as many as 53 goals in one year with the New England Whalers.