After a three-week search, the Washington Capitals have found their new head coach. Peter Laviolette will be the Capitals’ 19th coach in franchise history and the seventh in the Alex Ovechkin era (15 seasons). For Ovechkin, Laviolette will only be the second coach he has played under and who has previously gained coaching experience in the NHL.
The news was first reported by Elliotte Friedman.
Peter Laviolette will be the next head coach in WASH
– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 15, 2020
Update, 8:21 a.m.: Darren Dreger says it’s a three year contract.
Peter Laviolette agrees to a 3-year coaching contract with Washington Capitals.
– Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 15, 2020
Update, 8:28 am: We also have a rough idea of his salary via Pierre LeBrun:
Laviolette had a year left on his old $ 2.5 million Predators deal. I was told that in the future the caps will pick up on all of that. Preds are off the hook. https://t.co/YbKiqTrQCe
– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 15, 2020
Said the deal is worth more than $ 4 million a year https://t.co/0o17lMtm2f
– Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) September 15, 2020
When Brian MacLellan fired Todd Reirden on August 23, the general manager of Capitals cited his desire for a seasoned head coach who could “push a few buttons” after a second consecutive defeat in the first round of the playoffs.
MacLellan added in a team release that the organization “had higher expectations for our team and we felt a new approach to leadership was needed”.
The fiery laviolet would certainly fit this bill. Born in Franklin, Massachusetts, he has coached a total of 1,210 games in the NHL in his 18-year coaching career, sitting behind the bench for the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators. His record is 637-425-25-123. Laviolette, who had worked in the minor leagues for most of his career, played 12 NHL games as a player in the 1988/89 season, all for the New York Rangers.
As a coach, Laviolette led the Carolina Hurricanes to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2006. He also coached the Philadelphia Flyers (2009-10) and Nashville Predators (2016-17) twice to the Stanley Cup finals. He is only the fourth coach in NHL history to lead three different teams to the Stanley Cup final.
The Nashville Predators sacked Laviolette in January after the team came close to missing the playoffs. The team had miserable special teams until January. The capitals got permission from the Predators to interview Laviolette as the coach has a year left on his contract.
“Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights – from our franchise switch to the Stanley Cup final to a Presidents’ Trophy and our first two titles in the Central Division,” said David Poile, general manager of Predators, in a press release then. “Your passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and being the best make this a difficult decision to make. On behalf of the entire organization, I’d like to thank Peter and Kevin for all of their contributions to the Nashville Predators over the past five and a half seasons. “
Laviolette was one of three obvious finalists for the Capitals job, including Mike Babcock and Gerard Gallant. Former Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau also spoke to the Capitals at the beginning of the process, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir.
While Laviolette was quick to turn the teams around, he has also endangered these clubs’ offensive in the past, according to Micah Blake McCurdy.
Incidentally, Laviolette does (not otherwise) consistently and seriously harm the offense of his teams. With a real coach, the Preds Cup favorites would be or close. pic.twitter.com/ohgPwT0CuA
– Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) 29th November 2019
Laviolette also had some problematic interactions with players. Laviolette hit Ville Leino in the head while training the Flyers.
– Trainer sporps #blm (@OVECHKlN) August 31, 2020
“There are a lot of emotions in the game. Coaches get cheered and things happen. “Leino later told ESPN. “I don’t think Peter tried to hit me and it looks worse in the video than it was… Peter was a very passionate and emotional trainer. That made him good, but sometimes things like that happened. Still, it shouldn’t happen. “
Laviolette later told The Tennessean, “I tried to motivate my team and went to smack my fist into my hand. I stole the back of his helmet. It was by no means intended to be physical abuse, nor have I ever had physical abuse with a player. “
Daniel Carcillo also said his former coach was “one of those guys who likes to be a ‘rah-rah’ guy. Send you to a fight when you know he never fought.”
We talked last night #Preds Kyle Turris returned to the lineup, issued a Kobyashi Maru, and spoke to him @ CarBombBoom13 Detailed information on hockey abuse problems and more (from 4:05 p.m.).
LISTEN: https://t.co/z8PoTIuMTq
– The neutral zone (@ NeutralZone1045) 5th December 2019
“First, a suggestion from (Carcillo) was that I would use my position of power in a locker room to harass or challenge players to go out there and fight,” replied Laviolette. “That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Capitals will hope that Laviolette’s passion will be a positive expression and take the team to the next level after wrestling in the playoffs two years after winning the Stanley Cup. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom are entering the twilight of their careers and this is the team’s last big chance to win the Stanley Cup again with the current core of the team.
