The intentions on Broadway are clear: Stanley Cup or bust.
The New York Rangers announced on Tuesday afternoon the
hiring of Peter Laviolette to fill the team’s head coach vacancy.
In doing so, general manager Chris Drury showed the rest of
the league that the Rangers are dedicated to winning a Cup as soon as possible.
Laviolette holds a record of 752-503-25-150 and currently
sits eighth on the all-time wins list in NHL history, just 30 wins behind New
York Islanders legend Al Arbour.
He led the Carolina Hurricanes to the team’s only
Stanley Cup Championship in 2005-06 and teams led by Laviolette have made the
playoffs in seven of the last nine seasons.
Now with his sixth team, Laviolette has qualified for the
playoffs at least once in each of his previous stops and that experience — plus
the Cup ring — likely put him ahead of New York’s other candidates.
“I would like to welcome Peter to the New York Rangers,” MSG Sports Corp. executive chairman James Dolan said in a statement. “Peter’s impressive resume, which includes winning a Stanley Cup and advancing to the Final with three different teams, has made him one of the most respected coaches in the league. As we move forward in our goal to consistently contend for the Stanley Cup, I am confident that Peter is the right head coach to lead our team.”
During the search, the Rangers brought in a couple of options
who were looking for their first NHL head coaching opportunity.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery was interviewed in late May but subsequently filled Laviolette’s vacancy with the Washington Capitals, an organization for which he previously coached in the AHL. Seattle Kraken assistant Jay Leach was also brought in for a meeting but was ultimately passed over.
New York even had an option from within the organization.
Kris Knoblauch has been the coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack since 2019 and led
the team to the third round of the AHL playoffs this season. He even got a
taste of being behind the big-league bench in 2021 when then-Rangers head coach
David Quinn and his staff missed a game due to COVID-19 protocol. Knoblauch
ultimately did not receive an interview with the Rangers.
The Rangers have a core locked into place. Artemi Panarin, Mika
Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Filip Chytil, Barclay Goodrow, Adam Fox and Jacob
Trouba are all under contract through the 2025-26 season. Superstar goaltender
Igor Shesterkin is only signed for two more seasons at a
well-below-market-value $5.667M average annual value.
That core (minus Trocheck) went to the Eastern Conference
Finals just a year ago and this season’s exit was widely considered a massive
disappointment. Drury has shown an ability to effectively add around the edges
but the nucleus of this team is here to stay for now.
The Rangers are hoping that Laviolette can be the missing
ingredient that brings Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Manhattan.
