Report: Peter Laviolette expected to be named Rangers coach
The New York Rangers appear ready to finally name Peter Laviolette the 37th head coach of the franchise per a new report from Elliotte Friedman.
“There is word this afternoon the NYR and Peter Laviolette are gaining momentum,” Friedman tweeted “Nothing is done until it’s done, but, barring a swerve, looking like Laviolette as next Rangers head coach.”
UPDATE: RANGERS HIRE PETER LAVIOLETTE
Report: Peter Laviolette expected to be named head coach
From the moment that Gerard Gallant was let go on May 6, Laviolette was considered the front-runner to land the job.
While GM Chris Drury properly did his due diligence on available candidates like John Hynes, he also waited to see how the situations in Toronto and Pittsburgh played out.
Mike Sullivan was basically taken off the board with his own comments to the NY Post on May 17, but Sheldon Keefe was possibly in play. As it stands now, the Maple Leafs are unlikely to let him go and that led to this decision.
Laviolette, 58, has amassed a coaching record of 752-503-25-150 over 21 seasons. He was the obvious successor to Gallant thanks to having a Stanley Cup win under his belt with the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes. Drury also played for Laviolette at the 2006 Olympics with Team USA.
The Rangers are a win-now team and Laviolette boasts a lifetime mark of 78-76 in the playoffs. He’s also been to three Stanley Cup Finals (2006, 2010, 2017).
More About:New York Rangers Features New York Rangers News New York Rangers Rumors