After leaving Ottawa, and try and stay with me here, Smith quickly resurfaced with the Los Angeles Kings under Jim Hiller, who had worked with Smith under Babcock in Toronto. Initially hired as an assistant coach, Smith was elevated to interim head coach in March after the Kings fired Hiller. LA responded with an 11-6-6 record down the stretch under Smith’s guidance, but it wasn’t enough. The Kings hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach, so Smith was out. Hiller then resurfaced as Toronto’s new head coach.
