The Carolina Hurricanes have asked for permission to interview John Stevens and Ulf Samuelsson for their coaching vacancy, according to reports.

Stevens, 48, has been an assistant coach with the Kings since the 2010-11 season, first serving on Terry Murray's staff then Darryl Sutter's, and winning the Stanley Cup twice. Stevens served as interim coach for four games during the 2011-12 season in between the dismissal of Murray and hiring of Sutter.

CBC's Elliotte Friedman reported the request for Stevens from the Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. TSN's Darren Dreger said Samuelsson and Oklahoma City Barons coach Todd Nelson are candidates for Carolina, which is looking to replace Kirk Muller, who was fired June 5.

Stevens coached the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of four seasons. He took over for Ken Hitchcock eight games into the 2006-07 season, when the Flyers finished last in the Eastern Conference with 56 points.

Stevens led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Playoffs each of the next two seasons, achieving a 39-point improvement in 2007-08, when they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Stevens was fired 25 games into the 2009-10 season. His NHL coaching record is 122-111-34 in 267 games.

Samuelsson was an assistant for the New York Rangers this season. He has never been a head coach in the NHL, but the two seasons prior was coach of Modo Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League, where he had a 38-15-16-41 record.

The former 16-season NHL defenseman spent five seasons as an associate coach with the Phoenix Coyotes from 2006-07 to 2010-11.