Rangers hiring Peter Laviolette to be next head coach
Chris Drury and the Rangers have found their guy.
Peter Laviolette is headed to the Garden to be New York’s next head coach, the team announced Tuesday. The New York Post was the first to report the hiring.
The 58-year-old has widely been regarded as one of the top candidates for the opening. Now the Rangers are making things official, naming him the 37th head coach in franchise history.
“We are thrilled that Peter will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers,” Drury said in a statement. “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 brings plenty of coaching experience to the Blueshirts. This will be his sixth head coaching job at the NHL level, five of which have been with teams in the Metropolitan Division.
Laviolette’s spent time behind the bench for the Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals. He was fired by Washington after the team fell short of the postseason.
Despite that, Laviolette has shown that he’s capable of getting the most out of his star players.
He has one Stanley Cup title in his career, back in 2006 with Carolina, but has reached the finals three different times. He also has 752 career wins, a .587 winning percentage, and has posted a losing season just twice.
Laviolette is one of the safer choices and is a win-now hire for the Rangers, who are still looking to take home their first Stanley Cup title since 1994.
With Gerard Gallant at the helm, New York finished third in the Metro this season, but fell to the Devils in the first round. Drury and company are certainly hoping a new voice like Laviolette will help take this team to the next level.
