Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3a63aa54-1501-49c2-bfa9-5a2404f8cf9e.jpeg] Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Former New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/] coach Peter Laviolette is a candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs head coaching vacancy. The Maple Leafs have interviewed a plethora of candidates, and Laviolette is reportedly one of them. “I think I’m getting closer to confirming some of these names, but Laviolette is one I know they did by Zoom,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said. On top of Friedman’s report, TSN’s Darren Dreger also revealed that Laviolette as well as Patrick Roy interviewed for Toronto's head coaching gig. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7307924/2026/05/26/nhl-rumblings-hischier-byram-coaching-cassidy/?source=emp_shared_article&unlocked_article_code=1.lVA.6N5n.0EwzfQYkybGY], Laviolette has had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams, including the Los Angeles Kings, a team searching for a new head coach. 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. [https://www.nhl.com/video/first-shift-peter-laviolette-6394907206112] “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.” Laviolette served as the Rangers’ head coach for two seasons from 2023 to 2025, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and reaching the Eastern Conference Final in his first year behind the bench, but followed that season up with a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, in which the Blueshirts missed the playoffs.
