Former Penguins goaltending coach Mike Buckley hired by Kings
Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending coach Mike Buckley was hired by the Los Angeles Kings in the same capacity.
The Kings announced Buckley’s appointment via release on Friday.
Buckley had been out of the NHL since being fired by the Penguins in August of 2021. His dismissal came on the heels of starting goaltender Tristan Jarry struggling badly during a first-round exit from the the 2021 playoffs.
In total, Buckley spent eight seasons with the Penguins, including four seasons as goaltending development coach working with the organization’s prospects.
During his time in that capacity, Buckley oversaw the likes of prospects Matt Murray, Casey DeSmith and Jarry, all of whom eventually became NHL players. He also influenced the front office to draft goaltender Filip Gustavsson in the second round (No. 55 overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft. Today, Gustavsson is the starting goaltender of the Minnesota Wild.
After Murray led the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, the team opted to promoted Buckley to the goaltending coach position and gently pushed incumbent goaltending coach Mike Bales out of the organization.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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