Los Angeles Kings hire former St. Louis Blues’ assistant coach Davis Payne to assist Darryl Sutter
Los Angeles Kings of Pacific Division have appointed an assistant to their head coach, Darryl Sutter, who is Davis Payne, former head coach of St. Louis Blues of the Central Division of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The seat of the assistant coach of the Los Angeles Kings was empty as their former assistant coach, Jamie Kompon, left his position after occupying the seat for more than six years. Kompon had also worked for St. Louis Blues for some years but he left Los
Angeles Kings when he was offered same job from Chicago Blackhawks of the Central Division of the NHL.
Former Boston Bruins player, Davis Payne, played most of his hockey with Providence Bruins and got a few chances to play for Boston Bruins in NHL as well but he is more famous an a coach after he started his coaching career as head coach of Pee Dee Pride
of Eastern Coast Hockey League (ECHL), where he remained for three years, before becoming a coach of Alaska Aces in the same league, where he had a great time of four years.
In 2008, 41-year-old Payne became head coach of Peoria Rivermen, affiliates of St. Louis Blues in the American Hockey League (AHL) and had a great time with them too as Peoria Rivermen played 62 matches under him and won 44 of them in their first season.
In January of 2010, when St. Louis Blues sacked their then coach, Andy Murray, Payne was called on to become an interim coach. Very soon he was named full time coach, a position that he could keep for just one and a half years before getting sacked following
a poor run in November 2011.
The appointment of Port Alberni, British Columbia resident, Payne was announced by Los Angeles Kings’ general manager Dean Lombardi and their head coach Darryl Sutter as he told that he is excited to have Payne as his assistant. Sutter also said,
“Davis was clearly the guy at the top of our list. We wanted somebody with NHL head coaching experience, and preferably a younger guy who communicates well with players and fits in well with our staff. We’re excited about having him.”
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