Rangers fire coach Peter Laviolette after failing to make Stanley Cup Playoffs amid dismal season
Well, that didn’t take long.
The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday, less than 48 hours after completing one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. No replacement was named.
Laviolette coached the Rangers for two seasons after being hired June 13, 2023. He was 94-59-11.
Associate head coach Phil Housley also got the ax.
“Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we’re making a coaching change,” Rangers general manager Chris Drury said in a statement. “I want to thank them both and wish them and their families all the best going forward. Peter is first class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach.
“After finishing with the best regular season record in the NHL a year ago and making a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, we came into this season with high expectations for ourselves. Quite simply, we failed to meet those expectations. We must all do better – myself included. As we head into next season and beyond, I felt that a change was necessary in order to give us the best chance to achieve our goals as an organization. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.”
The Rangers (39-36-7) failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs one season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2023-24, when they set franchise records with 55 wins and 114 points. They reached the Eastern Conference Final last season, losing in six games to the Florida Panthers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup.
After a 12-4-1 start this season, they were eliminated from playoff contention on April 12 when they lost 7-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes, and finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind the third-place Montreal Canadiens. They also finished six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
“I’m here, so that’s where I’m at right now,” Laviolette said after the season finale Thursday. “Those are things that are out of my control … right now, I’m here, and this is where I wanted to be.”
Last weekend, Laviolette said he wasn’t naive about his job status being in question, adding “I’m not blind to anything.”
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Rangers fire coach Peter Laviolette after missing playoffs
New York is the fourth team to miss the playoffs in the season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy — joining the 2014-15 Boston Bruins, the 2007-08 Buffalo Sabres and the 1992-93 Rangers. New York rebounded under coach Mike Keenan to win the Stanley Cup in 1994, its only championship in the past 85 years.
Laviolette began his NHL coaching career with the New York Islanders in 2001-02. He has also coached the Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals. He won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Flyers in 2010 and Predators in 2017. His 846 regular-season wins are the most among United States-born coaches in NHL history; he was third among active coaches behind Paul Maurice (916) and Lindy Ruff (900) and is seventh all-time.
Laviolette is the seventh NHL coach fired this season – and the second canned on Saturday; the Anaheim Ducks also fired Greg Cronin after missing the playoffs. Others who’ve been fired since the start of the season include Jim Montgomery (Boston Bruins on Nov. 19), Drew Bannister (St. Louis Blues, Nov. 24), Luke Richardson (Chicago Blackhawks, Dec. 5), Derek Lalonde (Detroit Red Wings, Dec. 26), John Tortorella (Philadelphia Flyers, March 27).
Assistant coaches Michael Peca and Dan Muse were not fired by the Rangers. It’s being reported that each will have the opportunity to interview for the head coaching vacancy.
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