Danny Wild-Imagn ImagesInterest in former New York Rangers’ coach Peter Laviolette amongst the rest of the NHL is beginning to pick up steam.
Laviolette’s contract with the Rangers officially expires on June 30, as he previously expressed that after a year away from the game, he’s ready to resume his coaching career.
“Now, sitting here and watching the playoffs, you just want to get back out there and get after it again,” Laviolette said via NHL Network early in May. “But we’ll see what happens. I think it’s been good, just from a refreshing standpoint. Sometimes you just take a minute, take a beat and get your mind back on track, and that’s where things are right now.”
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Laviolette has had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams.
Lebrun adds that the Kings, who fired head coach Jim Hiller in March, are among the teams Laviolette has had preliminary discussions with.
Laviolette served as the Rangers’ head coach for two seasons from 2023 to 2025.
In Laviolette’s first season with the Blueshirts during the 2023-24 campaign, the team won the Presidents’ Trophy and reached the Eastern Conference Final.
However, the Rangers missed the playoffs the next season, finishing the year with a 39-36-7 record and 85 points, which ultimately cost Laviolette his job.
The extent of Laviolette’s talks with the Kings, along with other teams, remains unknown.