NHL On Tap: Laviolette to debut as Kings coach at Avalanche

Laviolette to debut as Kings coach

Peter Laviolette will debut as coach of the Los Angeles Kings against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver (10 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT). The Kings are Laviolette’s seventh NHL team; he ranks seventh among coaches in wins (846) and ninth in games (1,594), most recently guiding the New York Rangers for two seasons (2023-25). Drew Doughty will debut as Kings captain; the defenseman succeeds Anze Kopitar, who retired after 20 seasons in Los Angeles. It’s a rematch from the Western Conference First Round last season; the Avalanche, who signed coach Jared Bednar to a four-year contract Wednesday that runs through the 2030-31 season, won the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s top team in 2025-26 with 121 points. They swept the Kings in four games en route to the conference final, where they were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.