The former Capitals bench boss becomes the 37th head coach in Rangers history.
The New York Rangers have a new head coach, as Peter Laviolette is officially taking over following his time with the Washington Capitals.
Laviolette becomes the 37th head coach in Rangers history following a lengthy coaching search that involved him, John Hynes and more names. He is replacing Gerard Gallant, who parted ways with the team after a disappointing first-round exit at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.
The 58-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Capitals, going 115-78-27 (.548 points percentage) in 220 games behind the bench. Washington made the playoffs in Laviolette's first two seasons as head coach and fell in the first round twice before missing out completely this past season for the first time in nine years.
Despite the lack of playoff success, Laviolette helped the Capitals stay afloat for the most part as the team dealt with a staggering number of man-games lost due to major injuries across the board that kept Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and more key names out of the lineup. He also had to coach through the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Laviolette parted ways with the Capitals on April 14. He requested a morning meeting with general manager Brian MacLellan following the team's season-ending loss to the New Jersey Devils. During that conversation, both sides decided to split when it became clear that an extension was not an option.
Spencer Carbery was brought on board on May 30 as Laviolette's replacement. He is the 20th coach in Capitals franchise history.
Laviolette's 752 wins are the eighth-most in NHL history, and he will look to build on a 752-503-150 record with the Rangers. Over 21 seasons as a head coach, Laviolette has helped his teams to the playoffs 13 times while appearing in three Stanley Cup Finals. His Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, which was his fourth season as an NHL head coach.