Lombardi, Sutter both fired; Robitaille promoted Kings' president, Rob Blake VP & GM

[Peter Skudra]

Ok now thats its died down a bit. Lets all remember Lombardi as a complete ******* who throw any vet under the bus when they no longer performed well. As a guy who stuck by a wife beater until the very end, mostly because said player was still good

Good riddance Lombardi, I sincerely hope you never get an NHL job again

It's almost like the NHL is a result oriented business...

 

[goosh]

Asst coach Davis Payne also let go, per LA Kings PR Twitter.

 

[Antbox530]

As a sharks fan, I think it was a good move getting rid of Sutter. It was just time for him to go like it was with TMac for the sharks a few years. Yes, he's a good coach, but coaches seem to have a pretty short shelf life with a team in hockey.

Lombardi is a bit more questionable. He and everyone else knew he was mortgaging the future for the present when he made a lot of those deals, but at the same time it seems they need a different philosophy at this point in time.

Hopefully it works out for you guys. As much as I hated the kings, the rivalry just hasn't been the same this year and hopefully it comes back.

 

[Sacha Baron Corbin]

Ok now thats its died down a bit. Lets all remember Lombardi as a complete ******* who throw any vet under the bus when they no longer performed well. As a guy who stuck by a wife beater until the very end, mostly because said player was still good

Good riddance Lombardi, I sincerely hope you never get an NHL job again

Wow I didn't realize that Lombardi is the first GM to throw a player under the bus, this is shocking news to me!

Aceboogie wrong about the Kings again, which is not so shocking

 

[Choralone]

Ok now thats its died down a bit. Lets all remember Lombardi as a complete ******* who throw any vet under the bus when they no longer performed well. As a guy who stuck by a wife beater until the very end, mostly because said player was still good

Good riddance Lombardi, I sincerely hope you never get an NHL job again

[To the tune of the chorus from Don't Cry for me Argentina]

Don't cry for me, Peter Budaj
The truth is, I had to trade you
I checked with Ranford, you were breaking down
I kept my promise
Don't keep your sweater

 

[Reclamation Project]

[To the tune of the chorus from Don't Cry for me Argentina]

Don't cry for me, Peter Budaj
The truth is, I had to trade you
I checked with Ranford, you were breaking down
I kept my promise
Don't keep your sweater

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Asst coach Davis Payne also let go, per LA Kings PR Twitter.

Wish him the best, but he won't be missed

 

[topshelf15]

Jason Smith, Richardson, Donovan, Alfredsson, Cameron, Justin Murray, Tim Murray


These are just everyone i assume the poster meant.

Other than Tim Murray none have held any sort ,position where they could affect change in any real regard

 

[Little Psycho]

Ok now thats its died down a bit. Lets all remember Lombardi as a complete ******* who throw any vet under the bus when they no longer performed well. As a guy who stuck by a wife beater until the very end, mostly because said player was still good

Good riddance Lombardi, I sincerely hope you never get an NHL job again

More news at 11!

 

[Jason Squirties]

Ok now thats its died down a bit. Lets all remember Lombardi as a complete ******* who throw any vet under the bus when they no longer performed well. As a guy who stuck by a wife beater until the very end, mostly because said player was still good

Good riddance Lombardi, I sincerely hope you never get an NHL job again

This person still upset that Fukufuji wasn't given a qualifying offer in 2007.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

For those interested again, Futa retained as Assistant GM.

Blake's first two moves are good. Small sample size, but batting 1000 imo

 

[Osprey]

It's curious that so many people are alleging nepotism and an "ol' boys club." Do they not realize that both Robitaille and Blake already held high-profile roles in the organization that made them next in line for each job? Robitaille was the team's President of Business Operations for the last 10 years and was ridiculously successful in that role. Doesn't that success entitle him to a promotion? As for Blake, while not nearly as entitled to a promotion, he was still Assistant GM of the Kings for the last 4 years and GM of their AHL affiliate (which won the Calder Cup under his management after he replaced coaches). Both men were next in line for their new jobs and did at least enough to be given the benefit of the doubt that they could handle more responsibility.

If you were going to allege nepotism and an "ol' boys club," it should've been done when Robitaille and Blake were first hired to their former roles in the organization, when both had no management experience and were gifted high profile jobs purely because they were franchise stars. Now, though, they've actually been successful in those jobs and given reason to wonder what they could do with more responsibility, so it's a little late to hold their playing careers against them. From all accounts, both men really impressed others in the organization with their aptitude for their former roles, so they weren't promoted because they were star players, but because their managerial talents were admired.

Specifically, the suggestion of "haven't they learned anything from Sakic/Roy in Colorado?" doesn't make much sense. Both Robitaille and Blake have had far more relevant experience (as outlined above, 10 years for Luc, 4 years for Rob) than Sakic had when he was hired. Also, neither has been hired to be coach. Maybe, if Blake hires Stephane Fiset to coach the Kings, the Sakic/Roy comparison might be more valid. Blake has said, himself, that he'd prefer a coach with NHL head coaching experience, so it doesn't sound like he has any intention of going the route that Sakic did by hiring Roy and Bednar. Also, his first managerial decision so far has been promoting Mike Futa to Assistant GM (happened literally while I was typing this post). Maybe he's smarter than people give him credit for. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him by the moves that he makes, rather than by an example in another organization that may not be very relevant.