Kings hire Dave Lowry as an assistant coach

Dave Lowry, who played more than 1,000 NHL games and has coached in the Western Hockey League for six seasons, was hired by the Kings as an assistant coach under new coach John Stevens. Goaltending coach Bill Ranford stayed on after Darryl Sutter was fired as the Kings’ coach, but assistant Davis Payne was let go. Another assistant coach will be hired to round out Stevens’ staff.

Lowry, 52, played for the Canucks, Blues, Panthers, Sharks and Flames during his pro career. He went on to coach Calgary and Victoria of the WHL and won two division titles with those teams. In his last five seasons, with Victoria, his teams had a winning record each season and made the playoffs all five years. Overall the team was 209-124-27 with Lowry behind the bench.

“Dave has a wealth of experience as both a player and a coach and we’re excited to have him join our team,” Stevens said in a statement released by the Kings. “He played over 1,000 games in the NHL and was a great teammate as a player. As a coach, he’s really detailed, he relates well with players and he is driven to win.”

One of his sons, Joel, was drafted by the Kings in 2011 and played the last two seasons for the Ontario (Calif.) Reign of the American Hockey League.

“I am very excited to join the Kings and John Stevens’ coaching staff,” Lowry said. “I have a great deal of familiarity with the Kings and the way they help prepare and develop players in particular, and I believe I have a good understanding and appreciation of the professionalism of the L.A. Kings on the whole. I am also appreciative of the time I have spent with the Victoria Royals including Graham Lee as the owner, Cameron Hope as the general manager and my entire staff in Victoria.”

Ulf Samuelsson, a former NHL player and minor league coach, previously interviewed for an assistant coaching job with the Kings but it’s believed he is not a candidate for the other opening.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Follow Helene Elliott on Twitter @helenenothelen