Dean Lombardi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lombardi's path to the Kings began with a foundation built in New England hockey. As a junior at Ludlow High School, he was an All-Western Massachusetts forward before playing for the Springfield Olympics under Gary Dineen. He later played college hockey at Elmira College and the University of New Haven, where he served as captain his final two years. After earning a J.D. from Tulane University, he worked as a labor lawyer and later as an agent for Art Kaminsky before joining the Minnesota North Stars as an assistant general manager to Jack Ferreira from 1988 to 1990. He moved with Ferreira to the expansion San Jose Sharks, eventually becoming their GM in 1996. During his seven seasons in San Jose, he increased the team's point total for five consecutive seasons, a feat matched by few NHL executives. After being fired on March 11, 2003, he served as a Western Conference scout for the Philadelphia Flyers until April 2006, when he was appointed president and GM of the Kings. Ferreira, who had already been with the Kings as a scout since 2005, continued in his role.

In Their Own Story

The 2011–12 season tested Lombardi's resolve. The Kings started slowly at 13–12–4, leading him to replace head coach Terry Murray with Darryl Sutter, his former coach in San Jose. While critics called it recycling a friend, the move jumpstarted the team. Fighting to qualify for the eighth and final playoff spot by just five points, the Kings launched an improbable run. They became the first eight-seed to win the Stanley Cup, eliminating the top three seeds in their conference: Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, and Phoenix Coyotes. The team set records by building 3–0 series leads in all four rounds and winning ten consecutive road games. On June 11, 2012, at the Staples Center, they defeated the New Jersey Devils 6–1 for the franchise's first title. Jonathan Quick won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Two years later, on June 13, 2014, Lombardi secured his second Stanley Cup with the Kings. However, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2014–15 and again in 2016–17, leading to Lombardi's dismissal as the longest-serving GM in franchise history.

Reader's Guide

Lombardi's blueprint for success relied on shrewd drafting and patience. In San Jose, he drafted Patrick Marleau, Brad Stuart, Scott Hannan, Marco Sturm, and Marcel Goc in the first round, along with Jonathan Cheechoo, Mark Smith, Ryane Clowe, and Christian Ehrhoff later. He also traded for veterans like Owen Nolan, Teemu Selänne, and Adam Graves to balance young talent. With the Kings, he continued this pattern, drafting Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Slava Voynov, and his most notable pick, Drew Doughty, the second overall selection in 2008. He complemented these picks with veteran signings and trades for Dustin Penner, Mike Richards, and Jeff Carter. The Kings improved yearly under this system, reaching 101 points in 2009–10. Although eliminated in the first round by Vancouver that year, they returned to defeat their former team, the San Jose Sharks, in the following season's opening round before capturing championships.

Did You Know?

• Lombardi is the son-in-law of Hockey Hall of Fame winger Bob Pulford.
• In San Jose, Lombardi became one of the few NHL GMs to increase point totals for five straight seasons.
• The Kings were the first eighth-seed in history to win the Stanley Cup and won the 2012 Stanley Cup Final 4–2.
• Lombardi brought the Stanley Cup back to his native Ludlow, Massachusetts, on August 8–9, 2012.
• At the time of his dismissal in 2017, Lombardi was the longest-serving general manager in Kings history.