Peter Laviolette is ready to return to the NHL. After a year away following his New York Rangers firing, the veteran coach revealed how the break helped him reset. Laviolette now has his sights set on competing for another Stanley Cup.

He was fired in April 2025 after the Rangers failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs despite holding high expectations for them after their Presidents’ Trophy win.

“It’s been good. I mean, everyone wants to work, but honestly I think a break coming out of New York was good.” Laviolette said.

As reported by ForeverBlueshirts, This break acted like a "reset" for the couch and marked the first full season away from NHL coaching for Laviolette, besides the 2004-05 lockout, in more than two decades.

Before stepping away, he had coached six NHL franchises and built one of the longest continuous coaching runs in modern league history. He also mentioned that he is now spending more time with his family, attending weddings, and travelling during this year away from coaching.

Despite this time away from the sport, Peter admitted that watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs has reminded him of his time when he used to coach and compete at the highest level again.

“Now, sitting here and watching the playoffs, you just want to get back out there and get after it again. 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 said.

Even after a disappointing finish in New York, his 846 career regular-season wins rank among the highest totals for U.S.-born coaches in NHL history.

Laviolette’s Timeline with the Rangers

The Rangers fired the coach less than 48 hours after the end of their season. The Rangers had closed with a 39-36-7 record and missed the playoffs despite giving their best performance in the previous season under the same guidance.

This was one of the biggest drops made by the same team that won the Presidents’ Trophy in recent NHL history. The Rangers have also become only the fourth NHL team to miss the postseason one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

Even after being fired, the coach’s guidance with the team in the first season stands strong across the league. In just two years, he made a 94-59-11 record and moved the team to the top of the league during the 2023-2024 season.

The Rangers, too, had their own struggles during the 2024-25 campaign, which became a major discussion point across the league and among their fans.

There were many questions around their roster decisions, locker-room discussions, and inconsistency, which continued throughout the season.

Under the guidance of Laviolette, the Rangers had reached the finals of the Eastern Conference, even though they didn't end up winning, the team was praised for their performance.

Laviolette is one of the most experienced coaches in NHL history, having coached many teams, including the Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, and even the New York Islanders.

During his coaching career, he continued to be a respected figure in the league who won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and reached the Stanley Cup final with three different teams during his career.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi