Trent Yawney, the assistant, and Kings decide to split ways.
Yawney joined the team in 2019 after head coach Todd McLellan was let go in early February.
The Kings declared on Thursday that they had reached a mutual agreement to part ways with assistant coach Trent Yawney.
With Jim Hiller serving as the team’s interim head coach and D.J. Smith, an assistant the Kings added in February, possibly having questionable status, that leaves at least one assistant coaching opening.
Kings general manager Rob Blake said, “We appreciate all that Trent has contributed over the past five seasons and thank him for his dedication to the organization.”
Yawney and Todd McLellan arrived at the Kings in 2019. He had previously been an assistant with the Ducks, worked with McLellan in San Jose, and Edmonton. Yawney might work with McLellan again; the Kings fired him in February. McLellan has attracted interest from other organizations looking to fill coaching positions.
Blake praised the Kings’ defensive prowess at departure meetings, and the team’s climb from 24th to 2nd place in the NHL during the season was a big help to an offensively struggling squad starting in December.
Yawney managed the back end and penalty kill for the Kings, roles that Smith may take over if he was kept on.
Yawney is a native of Saskatchewan, just like McLellan, and the two were teammates for the Saksatoon Blades in the province. McLellan only played five games in the NHL, whereas Yawney participated in almost 600 regular-season games and an additional 60 postseason games.
“Trent possesses an extraordinary degree of expertise training various kinds of defense players,” McLellan informed reporters upon Yawney’s hiring by the Kings. “He has coached and played with a number of Hall of Famers and Norris Trophy winners, such as Doug Wilson, Rob Blake, Duncan Keith, Phil Housley, and Chris Chelios. He is an excellent teacher who connects effectively with a wide range of individuals, and overall, he has played and coached the game at a high level.