What a power move by the Rangers!
The New York Rangers have hired the legendary Peter Laviolette as their new head coach, according to a Tuesday team announcement. Laviolette and New York agreed on a three-year contract, according to ESPN.
The 58-year-old Laviolette has 21 years of NHL head coaching experience on his resume, his most recent job being with the Washington Capitals last season — the Rangers’ division rival. After the Caps missed the postseason, Washington did not renew Laviolette’s deal.
New York will be the fifth Metropolitan Division team that Laviolette will have coached, after having stints with the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Laviolette is an absolute legend, currently the eighth-most successful coach in the history of the National Hockey League with 752 career wins — the most of any American-born coach. He won the Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and coached the Nashville Predators (2017) and Flyers (2010) to the Final.
Officially official.
Welcome (back) to Broadway, Coach! https://t.co/KxNbgd6q47 pic.twitter.com/gwCSIMXY4X
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 13, 2023
The 37th Head Coach in #NYR history. pic.twitter.com/YInwtE8M6D
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 13, 2023
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) June 13, 2023
Oh, man … it’s lit in the Big Apple right now!
With this move, the New York Rangers are certainly all in on chasing a Stanley Cup, but they’ve gotta bring Patrick Kane back. They need that star-power to go along with the flashy head coach, because not only is it good for marketing, it’s good for a championship pursuit. And I could see them doing exactly that. (RELATED: Wayne Gretzky’s Final NHL Point Jersey Sells For Incredible $715,120)
I love what the Rangers are doing right now.