New York Rangers fire Peter Laviolette
Photo credit: NHLPA.com
Following a 39-36-7 finish to the 2024-25 regular season, the New York Rangers have decided to make a change. General manager Chris Drury has announced on Saturday that head coach Peter Laviolette has been relieved of his duties.
Following an underwhelming season, the New York Rangers have fired head coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday.
Rangers announce coaching changes
Rangers general manager Chris Drury had this to say in his statement.
"After finishing with the best regular season record in the NHL a year ago and making a trip to the Eastern Conference Final, we came into this season with high expectations for ourselves. Quite simply, we failed to meet those expectations. We must all do better, myself included. As we head into next season and beyond, I felt that a change was necessary in order to give us the best chance to achieve our goals as an organization. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.» -Drury
In addition, associate head coach Phil Housley was also let go.
Peter Hassett from RMNB writes that Laviolette's tenure in New York was a rollercoaster. In his first season, the Rangers claimed the Presidents' Trophy with 114 points, then made a strong playoff push, sweeping his old team, the Capitals, and defeating the Hurricanes in six, before ultimately falling to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
"But 2024-25 was a cruel reversal. There was a systemic downturn in player performances, most acutely in 31-year-old Mika Zibanejad and 33-year-old Chris Kreider. The Rangers were outscored 52 goals to 43 when Zibanejad was on the ice during five-on-five play." -Hassett
Hassett also writes that The Rangers' power play, once a major strength, fell off significantly, dropping from third in the league in 2023-24 to 28th this season, with noticeable declines in both shot volume and finishing. Their even-strength puck possession also slipped, going from breaking even last year to just 48.9% in 2024-25, based on shot attempt metrics.
The decision to trade away captain Jacob Trouba and former 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko definitely had an impact on the club early on in the season.
The Rangers ended their season on a high note with consecutive victories over two playoff teams, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.
It's clear that changes will have to be made in order for the Rangers to bounce back next season. They have a promising group so we'll see what changes will be made in the offseason.
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AVRIL 19 | 39 ANSWERS New York Rangers fire Peter Laviolette Will the Rangers' bounce back and make the playoffs next season? | ||
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