The separation was finalized last weekend but Rob Blake had been talking with Luc Robitaille about his future as the Los Angeles Kings’ general manager for months, if not longer. Blake, who was finishing up his contract,

The Los Angeles Kings will not bring back Rob Blake, the team's general manager and vice president of hockey operations, after a fourth straight first-round playoff exit.

Blake was a defenseman for the Kings across 14 different seasons during a playing career that also included stops with the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks. He played for Los Angeles for the first 12 seasons of his career from 1989-90 until it traded him to Colorado during the 2000-01 campaign and then returned for two seasons from 2006-08.