The Los Angeles Kings have completed Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff for the 2026-27 season, announcing the additions of Phil Housley as associate coach and Chris Hajt and Ray Whitney as assistant coaches.
Assistant coach Derik Johnston and goaltending coach Mike Buckley will remain on Laviolette’s staff after serving in those roles last season.
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Housley reunites with Laviolette after previously working alongside him with both the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers. The Hockey Hall of Famer most recently spent two seasons as an assistant coach in New York before joining the Kings.
The 62-year-old brings more than a decade of NHL coaching experience. Before his time with the Rangers, Housley served as head coach of the Buffalo Sabres from 2017-19 and spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes. He began his NHL coaching career in Nashville, where he worked under Laviolette from 2013-17 and helped guide the Predators to their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history.
During his 21-year playing career, Housley appeared in 1,495 NHL games, recording 338 goals and 1,232 points. Both totals rank fourth all-time among NHL defensemen. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 after earning seven NHL All-Star selections and representing the United States internationally on multiple occasions.
Hajt joins the Kings after spending nine seasons with the Ontario Reign, Los Angeles‘ American Hockey League affiliate, where he most recently served as associate coach. His time with the organization included six playoff appearances, two Pacific Division titles and a trip to the Western Conference Final.
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The 47-year-old also has previous NHL coaching experience, serving as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Sabres during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons under Housley.
Before joining Ontario, Hajt helped the Manchester Monarchs capture the 2015 Calder Cup and previously spent six seasons behind the bench with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm, where he was part of the club’s 2014 OHL championship team.
Whitney enters the NHL coaching ranks following a distinguished 22-season playing career that included 1,330 regular-season games and 1,064 career points.
Selected 23rd overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1991 NHL Draft, Whitney played for eight NHL organizations and won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 under Laviolette. He later spent three seasons as a professional scout with Carolina before coaching youth hockey in Arizona.
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The Kings also confirmed Johnston and Buckley will remain on the coaching staff.
Johnston returns after serving as an assistant coach last season, while Buckley continues as goaltending coach following his work with the Kings and his role as Team USA’s goaltending coach at the Winter Olympics.
With the announcement, the Kings have finalized Laviolette’s first coaching staff as they prepare for the 2026-27 season.
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