The New York Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette as their next coach, bringing in a veteran with Stanley Cup-winning experience to replace Gerard Gallant.
The team announced the selection of Laviolette on Tuesday, putting the US-born leader in NHL coaching wins in charge at a time of high expectations, with the Original Six franchise firmly in winning mode now.
«With Peter’s extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had on various levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him at the helm. of our team,» general manager Chris Drury said. he said in a statement.
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Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette addresses the media one last time for the 2021-2022 season at the MedStar Capitals Iceplex on May 15, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images)
Laviolette replaces Gallant, who mutually parted ways with the Rangers after their first-round playoff elimination. Gallant spent just two seasons behind the bench in New York, leading the team to the Eastern Conference finals last year.
Since Drury, a former captain, took over as general manager, owner James Dolan’s directive has been to win the organization’s first championship since 1994.
Laviolette certainly has the experience to meet the requirements to do that. She led Carolina to the Stanley Cup in 2006 and has led two other teams to the final: Philadelphia in 2010 and Nashville in 2017.
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New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant looks on against the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on January 12, 2023 in New York City. (Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
«Peter’s impressive resume, which includes winning a Stanley Cup and advancing to the Finals with three different teams, has made him one of the most respected coaches in the league,» Dolan said. «As we move toward our goal of consistently competing for the Stanley Cup, I am confident that Peter is the right head coach to lead our team.»
Most recently, Laviolette spent the last three seasons coaching the Washington Capitals. They made the playoffs and lost in the first round each of the top two before missing out this year, and Laviolette and the team decided to go their separate ways.
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Washington Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette looks on from the bench during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on November 29, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
This marks Laviolette’s sixth head coaching job in the NHL, after he played his only 12 league games for the Rangers in 1988. After a season as an assistant for Boston, the Massachusetts native coached the New York Islanders before moving on to Carolina. Philadelphia, Nashville and Washington.
Laviolette, 58, has presided over 752 regular season victories. In addition to winning the most games among American coaches, Laviolette ranks third among active coaches, behind only New Jersey’s Lindy Ruff and Florida’s Paul Maurice, the latter of whom has the Panthers in the Cup final. .