Mike Buckley is set to begin his third season with the Kings after being named goaltending coach on June 9, 2023.
Buckley joined the Kings coaching staff after spending eight seasons (2013-21) with the Pittsburgh Penguins as goaltending development coach (2013-17) and head goaltending coach (2017-21). During his time in Pittsburgh, the organization's goaltenders received accolades at both the NHL and AHL level, including two Stanley Cups (2016, 2017), two NHL All-Star Games (2020, 2022), three All-Rookie Teams (NHL - 2017, AHL - 2015, 2017), three Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Awards as the AHL team with the lowest regular-season goals-against-average (2014, 2015, 2017), one Aldedge "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as AHL Goaltender of the Year (2015), and one Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as AHL Rookie of the Year (2015).
In his first season with the Kings, the team’s goaltending tandem ranked third and fifth, respectively, in goals-against average (GAA) and save percentage (SV%) while Cam Talbot earned his second career NHL All-Star nod. The following season, Buckley was named to goaltending coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament.
The first U.S.-born goaltending coach to win multiple Stanley Cups, Buckley also brings nearly eight seasons of collegiate coaching experience to his role, having spent three seasons (2012-13, 2015-17) as goaltending coach for the University of New Hampshire (H-East) and five seasons (2007-12) with his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (H-East).
In addition to his work with teams, Buckley currently sits as President and Head Instructor at Goaltending Development Services, Inc. in North Andover, Mass., where he trains NHL, AHL, collegiate, junior, high school, prep and youth hockey goaltenders throughout the season and summer months.
A native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Buckley skated four years (1995-2000) of collegiate hockey at UMass-Amherst before playing five seasons (2000-05) of professional hockey, including three campaigns with the Mississippi Sea Wolves and Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL.
