New York Rangers fire coach Peter Laviolette after missing the playoffs

By Canadian Press on April 19, 2025.

The New York Rangers fired coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday in the aftermath of missing the playoffs.

The move made by general manager Peter Laviolette came after the Rangers missed the playoffs, the result of a lost season during which they massively underachieved preseason expectations following a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year.

Assistant Phil Housley was also fired. Owner James Dolan and Drury are expected to start the search for a full-time head coach soon, and roster changes are all but certain to happen in the coming weeks and months.

“Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we’re making a coaching change,” Drury said. “I want to thank them both and wish them and their families all the best going forward. Peter is first class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach.”

Laviolette lasted just two seasons on in his sixth head-coaching job in the NHL after getting hired in June 2023. He spent the previous three with Washington and also coached Nashville, Philadelphia, Carolina and the Islanders, winning the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press