Jim Hiller

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|5|13}}

| birth_place = Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 190

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Right

| played_for = Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Rosenheim Star Bulls
Berlin Capitals
HC Milano

| league_coach = NHL

| team_coach = Los Angeles Kings

| draft = 207th overall

| draft_year = 1989

| draft_team = Los Angeles Kings

| career_start = 1992

| career_end = 2002

| career_start_coach = 2002

| career_end_coach =

}}

James Andrew Hiller (born May 13, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hiller played 63 games in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers, while spending time in the American Hockey League (AHL) and International Hockey League (IHL). He finished his career playing overseas in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany and Italian Serie A. Upon retiring, Hiller began a coaching career in the junior leagues.

Playing career

Hiller was born in Port Alberni, British Columbia. After playing Junior A hockey for the Melville Millionaires, major junior in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Prince Albert Raiders, Hiller was drafted in the tenth round, 207th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. Upon being drafted, Hiller began a three-year college ice hockey career with Northern Michigan University. NMU won the 1991 NCAA title in Hiller's sophomore year. Following an 86-point campaign with Northern Michigan in a 41-game 1991–92 season, his third with the university, he turned pro with the Los Angeles Kings.

During his rookie season, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings and completed his rookie season in 1992–93 with 20 points in 61 games split between the two teams. The next season, in 1993–94, Hiller joined the New York Rangers, but played only two games in the NHL, spending his tenure with the organization in the minor leagues with Binghamton Rangers of the American Hockey League (AHL) and Atlanta Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL).

After one season with the Canadian national team, Hiller went overseas to play in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga with the Starbulls Rosenheim in 1996–97. He finished second in league scoring in his third and final campaign with the club in 1998–99 with 67 points in 52 games, two points behind Martin Jiranek of the Nürnberg Ice Tigers. In 1999–2000, Hiller began a two-season stint with the Berlin Capitals, after which he spent one final season with HC Milano of the Italian Serie A before retiring.

Coaching career

After retiring in 2002 from his playing career, Hiller immediately began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL for two seasons. In 2004–05, he was named head coach of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), where he coached two seasons and posted records of 32–20–6–2 and 43–12–3–2 respectively. The next season, he was selected to coach the expansion Chilliwack Bruins back in the WHL. He coached the franchise to playoff berths in their first two seasons, but after missing the post-season in his third year with the club, he was fired.{{cite news|title=Chilliwack Bruins fire head coach Hiller|url=https://vancouversun.com/sports/Chilliwack+Bruins+fire+head+coach+Hiller/1395649/story.html|accessdate=March 17, 2009|date=March 16, 2009|newspaper=Vancouver Sun|archive-date=December 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217180513/https://vancouversun.com/sports/Chilliwack+Bruins+fire+head+coach+Hiller/1395649/story.html|url-status=dead}}

Later in the 2009 off-season, he was named head coach of the Tri-City Americans. In 2010 the Americans reached the WHL championship series but lost to the Calgary Hitmen. Hiller received WHL and CHL coach of the year honors for the 2011–12 season.

On July 30, 2014, it was announced Hiller was hired as an assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings.{{cite news|title=Detroit Red Wings pick Jim Hiller to fill last assistant coach vacancy|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20140730/SPORTS05/307300166/detroit-red-wings-jim-hiller|newspaper=The Detroit Free Press|date=July 30, 2014 |accessdate=July 30, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://redwings.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=727442|title=Red Wings add Jim Hiller and Andrew Brewer to coaching staff |publisher=Detroit Red Wings |first=Kyle |last=Kujawa |date=July 30, 2014 |accessdate=July 30, 2014 }} Part of his duties are to oversee the Red Wings' power play, which ranked 17th in the league the season before his hire.

After spending one season in Detroit, Hiller followed Mike Babcock to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In Toronto, Hiller was an assistant coach with responsibility for the power play.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/10/red_wings_assistant_coach_jim.html|title = Red Wings assistant coach Jim Hiller implements new ideas, schemes to boost mediocre power play|date = 4 October 2014}}

On June 19, 2019, the New York Islanders announced that Hiller would be joining their coaching staff as an assistant under Barry Trotz.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/islanders-coach-jim-hiller-1.32623741|title=Islanders name former Maple Leafs assistant Jim Hiller as assistant coach |newspaper=Newsday |first=Andrew |last=Gross |date=June 19, 2019 |accessdate=June 20, 2019 }} One month after the Islanders fired Trotz and replaced him with Lane Lambert,{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/islanders-hire-lane-lambert-to-replace-barry-trotz-as-head-coach/ | title=Islanders hire Lane Lambert to replace Barry Trotz as head coach }} Hiller was also relieved of his duties on June 9, 2022.{{cite web |title=Gruden and Hiller Relieved of Assistant Coach Duties |url=https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/gruden-and-hiller-relieved-of-assistant-coach-duties/c-334555564 |website=NHL.com |access-date=June 9, 2022 |date=June 9, 2022}}

On July 19, 2022, Hiller was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings under Todd McLellan.{{cite web |title=LA Kings Name Jim Hiller Assistant Coach |url=https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/la-kings-name-jim-hiller-assistant-coach-335035560 |website=NHL.com |access-date=February 2, 2024 |date=July 19, 2022}} On February 2, 2024, Hiller was named interim head coach following the firing of McLellan.{{cite web |title=McLellan Relieved of Coaching Duties, Hiller Named Interim Head Coach |url=https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/kings-announce-coaching-update |website=NHL.com |access-date=February 2, 2024 |date=February 2, 2024}} Under Hiller, the Kings made the playoffs and lost to the Edmonton Oilers in five games. Following the season on May 22, Hiller was promoted to full-time head coach.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/la-kings-name-jim-hiller-head-coach |title=LA Kings Name Jim Hiller Head Coach |website=NHL.com |date=May 22, 2024 |access-date=May 22, 2024}}

Career statistics

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
1986–87 \| Prince Albert Raiders \| WHL \| 3	0	0	0	12 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1987–88 \| Melville Millionaires \| SJHL \| 60	38	49	87	190 \| —	—	—	—	—
1988–89 \| Melville Millionaires \| SJHL \| 29	24	37	61	49 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1989–90 \| Northern Michigan University \| NCAA \| 39	23	33	56	52 \| —	—	—	—	—
1990–91 \| Northern Michigan University \| NCAA \| 43	22	41	63	59 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1991–92 \| Northern Michigan University \| NCAA \| 41	31	55	86	119 \| —	—	—	—	—
1992–93 \| Los Angeles Kings \| NHL \| 40	6	6	12	90 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1992–93 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 21	2	6	8	19 \| 2	0	0	0	4
1992–93 \| Phoenix Roadrunners \| IHL \| 3	0	2	2	2 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1993–94 \| New York Rangers \| NHL \| 2	0	0	0	7 \| —	—	—	—	—
1993–94 \| Binghamton Rangers \| AHL \| 67	27	34	61	61 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1994–95 \| Binghamton Rangers \| AHL \| 49	15	13	28	44 \| —	—	—	—	—
1994–95 \| Atlanta Knights \| IHL \| 17	5	10	15	28 \| 5	0	3	3	8
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1996–97 \| Starbulls Rosenheim \| DEL \| 47	22	27	49	187 \| 3	0	1	1	45
1997–98 \| Starbulls Rosenheim \| DEL \| 42	8	19	27	83 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1998–99 \| Starbulls Rosenheim \| DEL \| 52	23	44	67	65 \| —	—	—	—	—
1999–2000 \| Berlin Capitals \| DEL \| 48	16	16	32	90 \| 6	3	1	4	38
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 2000–01 \| Berlin Capitals \| DEL \| 48	11	23	34	87 \| 5	2	2	4	14
2001–02 \| Milano Vipers \| Italy \| 38	22	19	41	83 \| 9	4	10	14	0
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"\|NHL totals ! 63 !! 8 !! 12 !! 20 !! 116 ! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 4

Head coaching record

rowspan="2"\|Team	rowspan="2"\|Year	colspan="6"\|Regular season	colspan="4"\|Postseason
class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center;"
G	W	L	OTL	Pts	Finish	W	L	Win %	Result
style="background:#fdd;" ! LAK !! 2023–24 \| 34	21	12	1	(43)	3rd in Pacific	1	4	{{winpct\|1\|4}}	Lost in first round (EDM)
LAK	2024–25 \| 81 \|\| 48 \|\| 24 \|\| 9 \|\| (105) \|\| 2nd in Pacific \|\| 0 \|\| 0 \|\| {{winpct\|0\|0}} \|\|
colspan="2"\|Total	115	69	36	10			1	4	{{winpct\|1\|4}}