ECHL: Pee Dee and Alaska In 2000, Payne became the head coach of the
Pee Dee Pride in the ECHL. Payne coached there through the 2003 season, attaining a regular season record of 104–67–17. The team also made the playoffs all three seasons, advancing to the second round each year. After the 2002–2003 season, Payne began coaching the
Alaska Aces (ECHL). Payne coached in Alaska from 2003 to 2007, leading the team to the playoffs every year, including a
Kelly Cup Championship in 2005–2006 season. He ended his tenure at the Aces with a regular season record of 185–75–28 and a playoff record of 38–21. On April 14, 2010, the St. Louis Blues removed the interim tag from Davis' title, and he became the full-time head coach of the team. He was fired on November 6, 2011, after his team got off to a 6–7 start and was replaced by former
Dallas Stars head coach
Ken Hitchcock.
NHL assistant coaching career On July 26, 2012,
Los Angeles Kings General Manager
Dean Lombardi announced that Davis Payne was hired as assistant coach to
Darryl Sutter. Payne won his first
Stanley Cup in 2014. On July 5, 2017, the
Buffalo Sabres announced Payne was hired as associate coach to
Phil Housley, a position Payne held for two seasons. In June 2019, it was announced that Payne had become an assistant coach for the
Ottawa Senators. When head coach
D. J. Smith was dismissed in December 2023, Payne was also dismissed. On June 17, 2024, the
Winnipeg Jets announced that Payne was hired as an assistant coach to
Scott Arniel. ==Career statistics==