The Rangers have announced that Phil Housley will join Peter Laviolette’s staff as Associate coach and that Micahel Peca and Dan Muse will join as assistant coaches.
The Rangers did not specify which roles each coach will have.
Housley was an assistant to Laviolette in Nashville from 2013-2017, Muse was with Laviolette in Nashville for three seasons and Peca was the captain for Laviolette with the Islanders and was a development coach with Laviolette and the Capitals in 2020-21.
The Rangers introduced Peter Laviolette as head coach team and the following was said: (MSG):
Chris Drury Opening Statement: “When I started this process, I wanted to have a very detailed and thorough search, and I’m happy to report that that search led to Peter Laviolette. I truly believe his resume speaks for itself and commands respect on many different levels. It’s my honor and privilege to welcome, honor and introduce New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette.
Peter Laviolette Opening Statement: “My wife told me when I came up here to make sure that I smile, I said that I’m not a very good smiler, I said that I frown so much, but I said that I’ll make sure I smile (smiles). I’m thrilled to be here as the coach of the New York Rangers. I understand the history and importance of being able to coach an original six team. We have a really good team and really good players and my staff and I will work tirelessly pushing towards a common goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to New York. I’d like to thank Jim Dolan and Chris Drury for this opportunity. This is one of the best franchises in sports and it’s in one of the best cities in the world. I’m appreciative and excited to be here to be able to coach this team. I want to thank the Rangers for bringing my family up here. 25-years of coaching…so many moves and yet they still came (laugh). It’s really good to have their love and support like I have for so many years. My family went online, I think it was eBay in pursuit of the ever elusive Laviolette 39 jersey. With only 12 games played they had a difficult task and not much luck and they poked some fun at me, they ribbed me a little about only playing 12 games, but I let them know that they couldn’t find the jersey not because I was here for just a minute, it’s just that it was in such demand after being head coach of the Rangers. I’ve never really thought about my 12 games much, I think of myself more as 11-years in the minor leagues and 25-years of coaching. That is 36-years of hockey with just a small bit in the NHL. But this is where my NHL journey started, here in NY and for me to be back here and tell you that it means a lot to me it won’t truly reflect how proud and humbled I am to come back to the City of New York and coach this team.”
On NHL Tonight, Henrik Lundqvist was asked about Peter Laviolette and said “I’ve run into Lavy a couple of times, All-Star games and I also talked to him when I signed in Washington and I was supposed to go there and I have to say, I was fired up to go there just by talking to the guy. It’s going to be exciting to see him in NY and you talk about the pressure, I think it’s about embracing that moment and not to come in and try to avoid it, embrace the pressure and the fact that there are a lot of people that care about the team, the organization and the results. It’s a great challenge to have.”
Islanders: (2001-02 to 2002-03, 77-62-19-6 regular season record, 4-8 playoff record)
Mike Milbury: ”This is a guy you can relate to. This is a guy you can have a beer with. This is a guy you can respect.” (NY Times)
The Rangers have announced Peter Laviolette as the 37th coach in team history.
Chris Drury said in a statement: “With Peter’s extensive experience as a Head Coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team.”
6/14/23 | 1PM: Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts “They met with him fast, met with him a couple of times. One of the things about Peter Laviolette is…I was very interested in the term: three years. That is a good term for Laviolette, that is a really good term for him because if you look at his history, that is what he does, he turns you around fast and puts a jolt into your organization and then he moves on, that is his history and they have to win now. One of the things I was kind of told, too, was that Gallant and Drury always didn’t see eye-to-eye and I think Drury wanted to make sure that he could see eye to eye with Laviolette. He knew he could see eye to eye with Hynes, that wasn’t a problem, but I think he had to make sure it was going to be okay with Laviolette, obviously he is comfortable with that now….You look at Peter Laviolette, he got to the Islanders and made them better, he got to the Hurricanes and won a Stanley Cup. He got to the Flyers and within two wins of the Stanley Cup, that is what he does, he turns teams around fast. Do I think Drury was a little unsure? Yea, I do and I think he knows this is a big hire and that if this doesn’t work it could be a problem for him, but he’s never been afraid to wait, I think he asked a lot of people. They weren’t getting Sullivan, but he wanted to make sure. I don’t think Keefe is going to be an option, it sounds like they weren’t going to do Quenneville. He just wanted to make sure that he was sure. It may work, it may not and if you are the Rangers that is what you need. The idea of taking a step backwards or this not working, it’s not an option, it just isn’t.”