The L.A. Kings announced this week that their new coach would be Murray. Not the Murray they fired two years ago, but Terry Murray, who has most recently been working as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Murray’s background includes time spent playing and coaching at both the AHL and NHL levels. He was originally drafted by the California Golden Seals in 1970 after playing Junior hockey in Ottawa with the 67s. He has coached in the NHL at the head guy level three times before. What does this mean for the Kings? Here's three positives to note:

1. The Kings decided not to go with a rank beginner, as was feared when a couple of other names were floated earlier this summer. Murray has been a head coach with Washington, Philadelphia, and Florida, and he has in the neighborhood of 350 NHL wins to his credit. Eighty percent of the seasons he has coached, he’s brought his team home with a winning record.

2. They didn’t go with a young man in the hopes of having someone who could work with their young players. These kids need leadership and a father figure, rather than a buddy.

Murray is 58, and he’s been an assistant coach for four years now after last being a head coach eight years ago. So one assumes that while he’s mature, he’s also hungry. According to press reports, he spent time as a pro scout in between his last head coaching job and taking his position as assistant with the Flyers, so it’s safe to say he’s a hockey guy.

In L.A., the youngsters need that. They won’t get much encouragement from anywhere else. The devoted fans are great, with websites, call-ins after the games, etc. But once outside the arena, things quiet down. The newspaper cares little about the franchise. And TV sports reports would rather talk about blisters on other sports’ star players fingers than hockey.

Don’t forget, the Kings’ best young prospects are guys who have played in the OHL and other Canadian Junior leagues. That means that they’ve been interviewed more times and interrupted at dinner for autographs more times in three or four years than they will be if they play in Los Angeles until their numbers are retired. They need a hockey-hardened fellow to keep them focused on the job at hand.

3. Murray is a former player, but not just any player. He’s a guy who spent time up and down, playing in the NHL, the AHL, and a couple of other leagues that don’t exist anymore. So you’d think he’ll be able to relate to players coming up and down for looks by the parent team, and also that his protégés will be able to relate to him as someone who knows what it is to struggle for a professional career.

If there’s a downside, it’s that Murray hasn’t gone far in the playoffs except for two round-three losses (Caps 1989-90, Flyers 1994-95). But that also means that he’s won some series—it’s hard to get to the third round, and good for a city to do so.

It’s the honeymoon period, but the Kings have made a smart move in hiring this guy.

Brian Kennedy wrote Growing Up Hockey. It’s his story, but it’s yours, too. Check out www.growinguphockey.com to find out more or to share your hockey tales.