After a disappointing season, the New York Rangers announced on Saturday that they had made the decision to separate from head coach Peter Laviolette after only two seasons. The associate coach, Phil Housley, was also relieved of his duties, according to the team.
The Rangers took place 39-36-7 this season and missed the playoffs a year after winning the president’s trophy and qualified for the final of the Eastern Conference.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover on Foxnews.com
New York Rangers’ head coach Peter Laviolette speaks with the media after a 5-3 victory against Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2025. (Danny Wild-Imagn images)
Laviolette, 60, had a record of 94-59-11 in two seasons at the bar of New York. The Rangers had their best regular season in the history of the franchise with him during the 2023-2024 season, when they had a team record of 114 points and 55 victories.
“Today, I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we are making a change of coaching,” said the director general of the Rangers, Chris Drury, in a statement. “I want to thank them both and wish them, as well as their families, all the best in the future. Peter is first class all along, both professionally and personally, and I am really grateful for his passion and his dedication to the rangers in his time as a head coach.”
“After having finished with the best record of the NHL regular season a year ago and made a trip to the Eastern Conference final, we have entered this season with high expectations for ourselves. Quite simply, we have not managed to meet these expectations. We must all do better – including me.”
The allegations of sexual assault against the NHL star, Artemi Panarin, revealed after regulation: report
The New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette is educating his team as left-handed Artemi Panarin (10), Chris Kreider (20) and Brennan Othmann (78) consulted the San Jose Sharks during the third period at SAP Center in San Jose on March 29, 2025. (Robert Edwards-Imagn images)
“While we are heading to next season and beyond, I thought that a change was necessary to give us the best chance of achieving our objectives as an organization. Our search for a new head coach will start immediately.”
The Rangers were the sixth team that Laviolette was head coach throughout his career. He led to Nashville’s predators, Caroline Hurricanes, Philadelphia’s flyers, Washington’s capital and New York Islanders before joining the Rangers.
Upon the season, the Rangers had great expectations after failing in the Eastern Conference finals against Florida Panthers last season. But the Rangers were spoiled by an incoherent game and an underperformance of several of their best players.
New York Rangers’ head coach Peter Laviolette comes out of the ice after their defeat against the Hurricanes in Carolina at Lenovo Center on April 12, 2025. (James Guillory-Imagn images)
Strongr Mika Zibanejad scored 20 goals and collected 62 points this season after scoring 26 goals and 72 points last season. Chris Kreider scored 39 goals and 76 points last season and this season only scored 22 goals and 30 points.
Zibanejad and Kreider were only two of the many stars of the Rangers who took a step back this season in production.
The departures of Laviolette and Housley are probably the first of many to come for the Rangers this offseason, while the general manager Chris Drury will seek to revise a list that has had trouble throughout the year.
