Kings to hire Peter Laviolette as head coach

The Los Angeles Kings are going with experience behind their bench. The Kings are poised to name Peter Laviolette as their head coach, sources confirmed to Sportsnet. D.J. Smith finished the year as interim coach of the Kings, who were swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marked the team's fifth consecutive first-round playoff exit. Smith, a former Ottawa Senators head coach, and Anaheim Ducks assistant and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft also were in the mix for the job before the Kings picked Laviolette. Laviolette, 61, has been a...