The Los Angeles Kings have fired coach Jim Hiller after two seasons, they announced on Sunday.

Associate head coach D.J. Smith is taking over as interim and is expected to serve in that role for the remainder of the season. The Kings are coming off a poor month of February, which included a five-game losing streak that ended on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Calgary. Los Angeles was outscored 14-5 in a pair of losses coming out of the Olympic break, despite the jolt from trading for star winger Artemi Panarin.

Hiller, 56, was promoted to head coach after the midseason firing of Todd McLellan in 2024.