Peter Laviolette

Peter Laviolette was a solid defenseman who played college hockey at Westfield State College. He was not drafted so he joined the Central Hockey League’s Indianapolis Checkers in 1986-87, before making the US National team for the 1987-88 Olympic season. He would eventually have a very short NHL career, playing 12 games with the New York Rangers in 1988-89, but spent much of his playing career in various minor leagues. In the International Hockey League he played with the Colorado Rangers, Denver Rangers, San Diego Gulls, and the Flint Spirits, while in the American Hockey League, he appeared with the Binghamton Rangers and Providence Bruins, and he spent part of the 1997-98 season with the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League, where he was player-coach.

Though never much of a player at the NHL level, Laviolette would eventually become a very good coach. After serving as player-coach with the Nailers, he moved up to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and in 1998-99 was named top coach in the league after leading them to the Calder Cup. He then moved up to the Boston Bruins as assistant coach in 2000.

In 2001, Laviolette was named the head coach of the New York Islanders, moving to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2003. In 2005-06, Laviolette led the Canes to the Stanley Cup. He coached Carolina through the 2008-09 season, but was then dismissed only to re-surface in 2009-10 with the Philadelphia Flyers, where he coached through 2014. In November 2008, Laviolette became the all-time winningest American-born NHL coach. He has been highly sought-after as an NHL head coach, coaching the Nashville Predators from 2014-20, the Washington Capitals from 2020-23, and the New York Rangers starting in 2024. Laviolette also served as the US Olympic team head coach in 2006.