Peter Laviolette’s wife had one message for him before he was formally introduced as the new Rangers head coach on Tuesday.
“My wife told me when I get up here, she said to make sure that you smile. I said I’m not a very good smiler,” said Laviolette, who was hired on June 13. “I said I’ll make sure I smile, so…”
The 37th bench boss in franchise history proceeded to flash a quick grin, earning himself some laughs from the gathered media at the Rangers practice facility in Tarrytown.
Laviolette is replacing Gerard Gallant after the coach parted ways with the team following a disappointing first-round playoff defeat to the Devils.
Laviolette, 58, led with levity before getting down to business in the press conference.
The new head coach is now at the helm of his fifth Metropolitan Division squad — and one he briefly played for.
Laviolette appeared in 12 games for the Rangers during the 1988-89 season, sporting No. 39.
He joked that his family couldn’t find a Laviolette No. 39 Rangers jersey on Ebay due to “high-demand.”
Team president and general manager Chris Drury presented Laviolette with a new No. 39 jersey after the opening statements, marking a new era for Laviolette with the Blueshirts.
Laviolette’s personable nature was on display, but he did not mince words when talking about his plan for the Rangers’ future.
With 752 NHL wins under his belt –– eighth all-time in NHL coaching wins –– Laviolette emphasized the need for high work ethic and compete level from every guy on the roster.
Laviolette got fans smiling themselves when he also mentioned developing the kids, forming a team identity and not being afraid to make in-game adjustments.
With the New York Rangers’ next win, Peter Laviolette will tie Al Arbour for the seventh most wins in NHL history by a head coach with 782.
The Ranger’s 37th coach in club history was hired on Jun. 13, 2023, and is the fourth head coach in NHL history to lead three teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.
With the New York Rangers’ next win, Peter Laviolette will tie Al Arbour for the seventh most wins in NHL history by a head coach with 782.
The Ranger’s 37th coach in club history was hired on Jun. 13, 2023, and is the fourth head coach in NHL history to lead three teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Although a short tenure, his first NHL head coaching position was for the club that Arbour built.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a coach and as a person,” Laviolette said.
“His wife is a lovely lady. We got to spend time with them so that means a lot to me knowing he’s had an unbelievable career as a coach.”
The 60-year-old bench boss began coaching the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) in 1997 and jumped up to the Providence Bruins (AHL) until 2000.
The Franklin, Massachusetts native earned the Boston Bruins Assistant job from 2000-2001 and was hired by the New York Islanders for a brief stint from 2001-2003.
Laviolette was with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2003-2009, where he coached the team to a championship in 2006.
From 2009-2014, he coached the Philadelphia Flyers, leading the club to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final. He also was an assistant coach for the 2014 USA Olympic team.
The Nashville Predators enjoyed the club’s first true years of success under his guise from 2014-2020, earning a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, and the Presidents’ Trophy in 2018.
Circumstances out of a coach’s control led to a short three years with the Washington Capitals.
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