NYR have named Peter Laviolette HC

[Brewin Flames]

Rangers Close To Hiring Peter Laviolette

JUNE 12, 2023 AT 4:01 PM CDT | BY BRENNAN MCCLAIN 7 COMMENTS

Shortly after the Calgary Flames named Ryan Huska their 21st head coach in franchise history, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the New York Rangers are prepared to name their 44th. Although nothing is officially complete now, Friedman writes that Peter Laviolette will man the bench for the Rangers next season unless something dramatic changes.

 

In just over two years spent as head coach of New York, the Rangers recently let go of head coach Gerard Gallant. In those two seasons spent in New York, Gallant coached the Rangers to a 99-46-19 record, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, and the first round of the playoffs in 2023. Coaching a team currently constructed as a Stanley Cup contender, the lack of playoff success likely pushed Gallant out the door.

 

About two weeks before Gallant’s exit in New York, Laviolette was also shown the door by his former employer, the Washington Capitals. Also coaching a team with expectations of playoff success, the Capitals finished this season with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs entirely. After coaching in the United States Capital for three seasons, Laviolette finished his career in Washington with a coaching record of 115-78-27, including two first-round exits.

 

Although Gallant was able to coach the upstart Vegas Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, Laviolette is much more of a proven winner as a head coach. His first head coaching job in the NHL came all the way back during the 2001-02 season, coaching the New York Islanders for two seasons. Finishing his Islanders’ tenure with a 77-62-19-6 record, Laviolette was able to get the Islanders to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

 

After the Carolina Hurricanes fired then-head coach Paul Maurice after the 2002-03 season, Laviolette quickly joined on as head coach to replace him. Spending five seasons in Carolina, Laviolette’s stay with the Hurricanes was somewhat of a mixed bag.

 

He only finished with a slight winning percentage, going 167-122-6-28, and missed the playoffs three times, having been fired midway through the 2008-09 season. Minus the playoff exits, Laviolette was able to coach the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history during the 2006 NHL Playoffs.

 

Although his tenure in Carolina was a mixed bag, after joining the Philadelphia Flyers as head coach before the 2009-10 season, Laviolette got off to a quick start. The Flyers made the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals but ultimately lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. The following two seasons, the Flyers would be knocked out in the semi-finals in back-to-back years, but still finished as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

 

After missing the playoffs entirely during the 2012-13 season, Laviolette was quickly dismissed after only three games into the 2014-15 season, not returning to the NHL for the rest of the year. Before the start of the 2014-15 season, Laviolette was named the new head coach of the Nashville Predators. For the first time since his stay with the Islanders, Laviolette was able to coach the Predators to the playoffs every year spent as head coach (before his firing during the 2019-20 season).

 

The most notable playoff appearance in Nashville came during the 2016-17 season, as the team made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

In all, Laviolette has coached his team to the playoffs 13 times and missed the playoffs only five times after 18 full seasons of coaching.

 

He has appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals three times, and his only successful one came with the Hurricanes back in 2006. The Rangers will become the fifth team that Laviolette has coached within the NHL’s Metropolitan Division.

Edited June 13, 2023 by Brewin Flames

[yave1964]

Man once you get on the coaching carousel you never get off, lol. Wow, the absolute prime opening given to a retread lol

[OccamsRazor]

He'll be out in 3 years tops...

[Brewin Flames]

19 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Man once you get on the coaching carousel you never get off, lol. Wow, the absolute prime opening given to a retread lol

 

 

But, in my opinion, he 's a winning retread....

[Brewin Flames]

Laviolette hired as coach of Rangers, replaces Gallant

Winningest U.S.-born coach in NHL history held same position with Capitals past 3 seasons

NHL.com @NHLdotcom

 

Peter Laviolette was hired as coach of the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

 

The 58-year-old replaces Gerard Gallant, who was let go by the Rangers on May 6. New York was 47-22-13 this season but lost 4-0 to the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round after it had a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

 

"We are thrilled that Peter will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers," general manager Chris Drury said. "With Peter's extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team."

 

Laviolette's coaching staff will be discussed in the days ahead, but Gord Murphy, an assistant under Gallant, will not be part of it.

 

Laviolette's three-year contract as coach of the Washington Capitals was to expire June 30, and he told general manager Brian MacLellan his decision to not return next season during a meeting April 14. The Capitals then announced that they and Laviolette "agreed to mutually part ways" after not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.

 

Laviolette had said he'd like to coach in the NHL again but didn't leave the Capitals so he could get a head start on another job.

 

"I do want to coach again if somebody will have me, but I hadn't even thought about that," Laviolette said April 28. "It was more that my term was up, my contract was up, and on June 30, I would be done here."

 

Washington was 115-78-27 in three seasons under Laviolette, including 35-37-10 this season to finish 12 points behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. The Capitals qualified for the playoffs eight consecutive seasons before that, including Laviolette's first two seasons, but have not won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.

 

Laviolette is 752-503-150 with 25 ties in 21 NHL seasons as coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Capitals. He won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006 and is one of four coaches to reach the Cup Final with three different teams (Carolina 2006; Philadelphia 2010; Nashville 2017), along with Scotty Bowman, Dick Irvin and Mike Keenan. His 752 wins are eighth in NHL history and most among coaches born in the United States.

 

"I would like to welcome Peter to the New York Rangers," owner James Dolan said. "Peter's impressive resume, which includes winning a Stanley Cup and advancing to the Final with three different teams, has made him one of the most respected coaches in the League. As we move forward in our goal to consistently contend for the Stanley Cup, I am confident that Peter is the right head coach to lead our team."

 

The Columbus Blue Jackets are the only NHL team without a coach. The Capitals hired Spencer Carbery on May 30 and the Predators named Andrew Brunette coach the next day. Greg Cronin was hired by the Anaheim Ducks on June 5, and the Calgary Flames hired Ryan Huska on Monday.

 

•  

[ruxpin]

4 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

 

 

But, in my opinion, he 's a winning retread....

Maybe. I like Lavy and always have, but I think this is a mistake.

 

Time will tell. I'm okay with future results proving me wrong.

[SaucyJack]

On 6/13/2023 at 6:51 PM, ruxpin said:

I like Lavy and always have, but I think this is a mistake.

I’m late to this party, but come summertime I normally give my head time away from reading much about hockey.

 

I’m sorta with you.  Laviolette was an opposing coach that always impressed me.  Three different teams (Canes, Flyers, Preds) to the finals.  Not bad…

 

…but he laid a huge egg with Washington.  Seemed clueless on what to do with the team.  Wasn’t impressed with his answers at press conferences, had no original thoughts on what to change.  

 

But one failure like Washington should be forgiven per his past successes.  (Still, ya have to wonder if he’s lost his touch…happens to everyone at some point.)   Will be interesting how he does in Manhattan but I wouldn’t wager a dime either way.

[ruxpin]

3 hours ago, SaucyJack said:

but I wouldn’t wager a dime either way.

 

^^^This.   This right here.

 

Really pretty much onboard with your entire post.    Did well with Flyers and Preds, just no cigar.    Just nothing in Washington.   I just think Trots showed how it should be done there and for whatever reason they moved on.  Maybe not an easy assignment for Lavy to follow a coach who won.  That doesn't happen often outside of a retirement, I don't think.

 

We'll see.  I just didn't like the firing at MSG.   I thought it was dumb.   I think he's being given a strange hand to play with.  I really like Lavy and hope I'm wrong.    I just don't like the circumstances there.