Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and more discuss Peter Laviolette and his impact after he and the Capitals agreed to part ways.
ARLINGTON, V.A. -- Peter Laviolette arrived at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Saturday, gathering his players together one last time to say goodbye. It was a bittersweet moment for the group, who think highly of him but, at the same time, understand that departures are part of the business.
General manager Brian MacLellan had wanted time to touch base with his players before addressing head coach Peter Laviolette's future, but the bench boss scheduled a meeting less than 24 hours after the season ended. There, both sides agreed to part ways.
"Obviously great man, great coach, but it's a business," Alex Ovechkin said. "You can see at the trade deadline, we lost friends, great hockey players, but it's a business. It sucks that we right now are in this position, but nothing you can do."
Laviolette's departure comes after Washington failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nine years. It was a sudden decision that caught some by surprise and left the players reflecting further on their tough season.
"I really liked playing for Lavy, it was only one year, but it was great getting to know him and working for him," Darcy Kuemper said. "It's sad that he's not going to be back next year. We're disappointed the year went the way it did, and we weren't able to play better for him."
Fellow first-year Capital Dylan Strome also said having Laviolette at the helm was key for him in a career year.
"He was a coach that really gave me a chance to be the player I know I can be and that I want to be," Strome said. "It was intense when I first got here and that stayed true the whole year. Very detailed and very motivating behind the bench. I can't say enough good things about a coach that really gave me a chance and put me in the right positions... I'm really grateful that I got to be coached by him."
Evgeny Kuznetsov, who had a honest relationship with Laviolette amid inconsistency and disciplinary issues, added that Laviolette was a good coach and was also a strong off-ice presence.
"He's a great person and I wish him all the best... it's only good stuff [with] him," Kuznetsov said.
Decisions on the team's assistant coaches will be made in the coming days.
While getting a new bench boss will be difficult, it is a realistic part of the business, and there is some optimism for the group with the chance to get a fresh start with a new system and new coach leading the charge.
"Any time you get a new voice, players, for whatever reason, find a different level of motivation to go out there with a new guy who has never coached you and show him how much ice time you deserve and how much you're willing to sacrifice to win games -- the type of player you are, the type of teammate you are," he added. "So a new coach can change a team a lot more than a new player or a couple of new players could. I think you'll see a change in our mentality a little bit."