Report: Kings set to name Murray head coach

Posted: Wed Jul 16 9:46 AM

Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings have reportedly settled on Terry Murray to fill their coaching vacancy.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that, barring a last-second veto by any of the club's owners, the Kings will give their coaching job to Murray, who was an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers last season.

Murray, 57, has been a head coach for the Washington Capitals, Flyers, and most recently with the Florida Panthers before he was replaced in the middle of the 2000-01 season.

The former NHL defenseman led the Capitals to the Eastern Conference finals, and took a Flyers team to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997, where they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. He was fired after that season, however, and became the general manager in Florida, before firing head coach Doug MacLean in the middle of the 1998-99 season and taking the job himself.

The Kings fired Marc Crawford after a last-place finish last season. LA finished with 71 points, tied for the lowest total in the league with Tampa Bay, with a 32-43-7 record. Crawford was let go after two seasons in which the Kings went 59-84-21.