The Kings and long-embattled normal supervisor Rob Blake have mutually agreed to half methods, the staff introduced Monday, 4 days after the staff’s fourth consecutive first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Rob for his dedication to the L.A. Kings and the passion he brought to the role,” president Luc Robitaille stated in an announcement. “Reaching this understanding wasn’t easy and I appreciate Rob’s partnership in always working toward what is best for the Kings.
“Rob deserves a great deal of credit and respect for elevating us to where we are today. He has been an important part of the Kings and will always be appreciated for what he has meant to this franchise.”
The seek for new GM will start instantly, the Kings stated.
Blake, 55, was a Corridor of Fame defenseman whose 20-year NHL taking part in profession included two stints with the Kings. He spent a number of of these seasons taking part in alongside Robitaille, who introduced Blake again to the Kings as assistant normal supervisor forward of the 2013-14 season, which ended with the staff successful its second Stanley Cup.
Lower than 4 years later the staff fired normal supervisor Dean Lombardi, the architect of its two Stanley Cup champions, and promoted Blake, who rapidly went about increasing the staff’s player-development program, including energy and conditioning coaches, a sports activities dietitian, a psychologist and different specialists, making it some of the sturdy within the NHL.
But the Kings haven’t gained a playoff sequence since.
This spring’s early exit from the postseason could have been essentially the most painful of Blake’s staff as normal supervisor. The staff tied franchise information for wins (48) and factors (105) whereas breaking the report for dwelling wins (31), giving it home-ice benefit within the first spherical of the playoffs. However after dominating the primary two video games at dwelling, the Kings have been swept within the subsequent 4.
That prolonged one other franchise report, marking the eleventh straight season the Kings have did not win a postseason sequence.
Kings normal supervisor Rob Blake, left, and Kings president Luc Robitaille attend the 2024 NHL draft collectively in Las Vegas.
(Jeff Vinnick / NHLI / Getty Photos)
Not like Lombardi, who was incessantly seen across the staff and obtainable to the media, Blake, who was within the closing 12 months of his contract, hardly ever spoke publicly. Moreover, he has lengthy been a goal of followers essential of his roster building and poor trades, such because the one which introduced Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings in the summertime of 2023 in trade for Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari, Gabriel Vilardi and a second-round draft decide. Dubois signed a cap-squeezing eight-year, $68-million contract with Blake, then promptly proved to be a bust, setting profession lows with 16 objectives and 24 assists.
However Blake mounted that final summer time, shifting Dubois to the Washington Capitals in trade for goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who had a profession season and is one in every of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy. Blake additionally made an essential deal on the March commerce deadline, buying ahead Andrei Kuzmenko from the Philadelphia Flyers, who additionally agreed to separate the rest of Kuzmenko’s wage.
The commerce instantly improved the Kings’ offense and rescued an impotent energy play, serving to win 17 of its closing 22 video games to put second within the Pacific Division, the most effective end of Blake’s time period as normal supervisor.
However that luck — and Blake’s time with the staff — ended within the playoffs.
