New York Rangers Announce the Firing of Head Coach Peter Laviolette
Photo credit: USA TODAY Sports
The New York Rangers have decided now is the time to move on from head coach Peter Laviolette after a disappointing season.
As is the case at the end of the regular season every year, there's always a few coaching changes from teams that didn't make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While the Vancouver Canucks are working to keep Rick Tocchet around, another team that missed the postseason, the New York Rangers, have made a big move behind the bench.
New York Rangers fire head coach Peter Laviolette after two seasons
After two seasons behind the bench in The Big Apple, the New York Rangers announced that head coach Peter Laviolette and associate coach Phil Housley have been relieved of their duties.
New York Rangers General Manager Chris Drury released a statement through the team's press release today, thanking Laviolette and Housley for their time with the organization while also acknowledging that the team failed to meet expectations this season, one year after winning the Presidents' Trophy.
"Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we're making a coaching change. 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." Drury said.
He added, "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."
He added, "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."
In two seasons behind the bench in New York, Laviolette had a record of 94-56-11 in 164 games, helping them to the Eastern Conference Final in his first year where they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.
Laviolette has nearly 1,600 games of experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League and ranks seventh all-time in wins with 846, ahead of some of the greatest bench bosses ever including Al Arbour, Dick Irvin and Pat Quinn.
It was time for a change in New York and there certainly won't be a shortage of great candidates for Chris Drury to choose from, perhaps even Rick Tocchet, if the Vancouver Canucks and him are unable to get a contract extension done.
Source: New York Rangers
Rangers Announce Coaching Changes
Rangers Announce Coaching Changes
