Kings GM Rob Blake will not return for 9th season after another 1st-round playoff exit

Greg Beacham · The Associated Press

· Posted: May 05, 2025 3:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Rob Blake is retired aft 8 seasons arsenic the Los Angeles Kings' vice-president and wide manager.

The Kings announced a communal parting with Blake connected Monday, 4 days aft Los Angeles mislaid to Edmonton successful the archetypal circular of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a 4th consecutive season.

Blake, a autochthonal of Simcoe, Ont., built a accordant regular-season victor with the Kings, but the squad failed to triumph a playoff bid during his tenure.

"Reaching this knowing wasn't easy, and I admit Rob's concern successful ever moving toward what is champion for the Kings," squad president Luc Robitaille said successful a statement. "Rob deserves a large woody of recognition and respect for elevating america to wherever we are today. He has been an important portion of the Kings and volition ever beryllium appreciated for what helium has meant to this franchise."

Blake was a Hall of Fame defenceman during a playing vocation spent mostly with the Kings, though helium won his lone Stanley Cup rubric with the Colorado Avalanche. He retired successful 2010 and joined the Kings' beforehand bureau during the 2013-14 season, Los Angeles' 2nd Stanley Cup title campaign.

He replaced Dean Lombardi, who built the 2 championship-winning teams, arsenic the Kings' GM successful April 2017. Blake led the Kings backmost to relevance, and they went 309-238-71 successful his 8 regular seasons.

But the Kings mislaid successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs 5 times during his tenure, winning conscionable 8 full games successful those 5 series. Los Angeles has been eliminated successful each of the past 4 seasons astatine the hands of Connor McDavid's club, incapable to physique a squad susceptible of withstanding the Oilers' violative onslaught.

Los Angeles won the archetypal 2 games of its bid against Edmonton past period but past mislaid 4 successful a enactment to clang retired of the playoffs yet again amid increasing instrumentality discontent.