NEW YORK — The New York Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette to be their new head coach.
Laviolette brings extensive experience as a bench boss in the NHL to the Big Apple. He has a career coaching record of 752-503-150 (with 25 ties) in 21 NHL seasons as coach of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington 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).
There's a few different ways to look at the hire, according to Jon Chik of Locked on Rangers.
"As far as the candidates on the NHL coaching carousel, the coaches that seem to get recycled and bounce from one team to the next, Laviolette is near the front of the line there," Chik said. "He's somebody that when he walks into the locker room, he's going to command a lot of respect and have the ears of all of his players as somebody with a proven track record."
At the same time, it's an incredibly "safe" hire, and Chik would have liked to have seen the Rangers give someone fresh a look like the Colorado Avalanche did with Jared Bednar or Rod Brind'Amour in Carolina.
For a Rangers team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 before losing in the first round this season, Laviolette is the right choice, or the safest bet at least.
"I would like to welcome Peter to the New York Rangers," said Rangers' owner James Dolan. "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."
Laviolette most recently coached the Capitals, who announced that they and Laviolette "agreed to mutually part ways" after Washington failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2013-14.
His 752 wins are eighth in NHL history and most among coaches born in the United States.