While coaches are often measured by wins and losses, that doesn't always measure the impact the coach had on the franchise. For some, especially with the Los Angeles Kings, they come into a situation where they need a culture change or someone to set the tone to get them back on track.
That is what this list is going to look at with a focus on which head coaches left a lasting mark that goes beyond just the records.
5 head coaches who made the biggest impact in LA Kings' franchise history
5) Bob Pulford
Bob Pulford would be the sixth head coach in Los Angeles Kings history but would be the first to coach more than two seasons as he coached five seasons from 1973-1977. He would be very successful during that run as he would help lead the Kings to four consecutive playoff appearances.
Even though he was one of the first coaches in franchise history, he still ranks pretty high among Kings' coaches as he is third in wins (178), third in points (424), third in playoff games coached (26) and fourth in wins (11).
4) Tom Webster
Tom Webster would only coach three seasons for the Los Angeles Kings but he made a notable impact on the franchise. He would be the only coach to date who has led the Kings to a division title when they won it in 1990-91.
In all three seasons he coached the Kings, he would lead them to the playoffs and is currently third in franchise history in win percentage in playoff games at .429. He was also no stranger to suspensions as he would be suspended twice during his time with the Kings.
In the 1990-91 season, Webster would be suspended four games for exchanging punches with a Calgary Flames player. Then the following season, he was suspended 12 games for throwing a hockey stick at a ref.
3) Andy Murray
Andy Murray was one of the longest tenured head coaches for the LA Kings as he was in that role from 2000 until he was fired midway through the 2005-26 season. He would end up coaching 480 regular-season games (which is currently a franchise record) and first in points with 520.
The best way to describe Murray's time with the Kings was consistency as they never finished worst than third in the division and hovered around being a .500 team. He started out well with three consecutive playoff trips and advanced past the first round once.
While he didn't have as much playoff success, getting to the playoffs was an accomplishment because prior to him joining the Kings had only one playoff appearance in the previous six seasons.
2) Todd McLellan
Todd McLellan was a coach for about five seasons before being fired midway through the 2023-24 season. Among Kings' head coaches, he ranks fourth in games coached (338), fourth in wins (164) and fifth in points percentage (.550).
He certainly didn't have the playoff success most would have hoped as he would lead them to consecutive first-round exits in his final full two seasons. However, the reason he is as high on the list is because he was able to navigate the Kings out of a rough part in their franchise history.
He would be named head coach before the 2019-20 season and each year they steadily improved going from seventh to sixth then to third. That third place finish would be the highest the Kings had in almost a decade, going all the way back to the 2015-16 season when they finished second.
There was a lot of ground work that had to be put into place to help the Kings be successful recently and McLellan deserves a lot of that credit.
1) Darryl Sutter
There really shouldn't be any question which head coach had the biggest impact on the franchise, and that is Darryl Sutter, who helped secure the only two Stanley Cups in franchise history. The first Stanley Cup he took over midseason that season after the Kings fired Tim Murray and helped them finish 25-13-11 in the regular season.
He currently ranks second all-time in the Kings' record books in games coached (425), first in wins (225), and second in point percentage (.592).
The playoff performance is what really sets him apart, as he had 42 playoff wins while all other coaches in franchise history combine for only 77. After the first Stanley Cup, the Kings would reach the Conference Finals but come up short against the Blackhawks before winning their second Stanley Cup the following year.
After that initial run, the Kings would make the playoffs only once in his final three years but when looking at his time with the franchise, the success in the playoffs is what really sets him apart.