After a disappointing season, the New York Rangers announced on Saturday that they had made the decision to separate from the chief coach Peter Laviolette after only two seasons. The associated chief coach Phil Housley was also relieved of his duties, according to the team.
The Rangers had 39-36-7 this season and the playoffs were lost a year after they won the president’s trophy and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.
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The New York Rangers chief coach Peter Laviolette, talks to the media after a 5-3 victory against Vancouver Canucks in Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2025. (Danny Wild-Imagn images)
Laviolette, 60, had a 94-59-11 record in its two seasons at the head of New York. The Rangers had their best regular season in the history of the franchise with him in the 2023-2024 season, when they had a team record of 114 points and 55 victories.
“Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we are making a training change,” said the general manager of the Rangers, Chris Dury, in a statement. “I want to thank both of them and I wish them their families the best in the future. Peter is first class, both professionally and personally, and I am very grateful for their passion and dedication to the Rangers in their time as a chief coach.”
“After ending the best record of the regular season at the NHL a year ago and making a trip to the East Conference final, we arrived this season with high expectations for us.
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The New York Rangers chief coach Peter Laviolette instructs his team while the left wings Artmi Panarin (10), Chris Kreider (20) and Brennan Othmann (78) Look at the Santa José duration of the third period in Sap Center in San José on March 29, 2025. (Images Robert Edwards-Imagn)
“As we advanced in the next season and beyond, I felt that a change was necessary to give the best opportunity to achieve our goals as an organization. Our search for a new chief coach will begin immediately.”
The Rangers were the sixth team that Laviolette has been a chief coach during his career. He trained the predators of Nashville, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capital and the islanders of New York before the Rangers.
Upon arriving at the season, the Rangers had high expectations after they fell short at the Estan Conference against the Florida Panthers last season. But the Rangers were tarnished by an inconsistent game and a low performance of many of their best players.
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The New York Rangers chief coach Peter Laviolette leaves the ice after his defeat against Carolina’s hurricanes at the Lenovo Center on April 12, 2025. (Images of James Guillory-Imagn)
The Mika Zibanejad striker scored 20 goals and had 62 points this season after he had 26 goals and 72 points last season. Chris Kreider had 39 goals and 76 points last season and this season had only 22 goals and 30 points.
Zibanejad and Kreider were only two of the many stars of the Rangers who played a step back this season in production.
The departures of Laviolette and Housley are probably the first of many that come for the Rangers this low season, since the general manager Chris Dury will seek to review a list that he fought during the year.
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