There are now four remaining head coaching vacancies left in the National Hockey League. The one most recently filled came in Nashville, where GM David Poile has named former New York, Carolina, and Philadelphia bench boss Peter Laviolette as the second coach in franchise history. The hiring came Tuesday afternoon, and Laviolette is eager to continue the working relationship formed with Poile while serving their country on the ice.
“He is a great hockey mind who not only has a winning resume, but has done it with an aggressive offensive philosophy while also excelling in helping young players reach their potential.”- David Poile on Peter Laviolette
The two worked together in the lead-up to the Sochi Olympics, where Laviolette was an assistant coach after being recently fired from the Flyers early in the 2013-14 season and Poile served as the Team USA general manager.
“They’ve got some terrific players in place and some young, promising players in place,” Laviolette said. “They’re a team that just missed making the playoffs [by three points] this last year, and I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity to getting them back in and being able to compete for the Stanley Cup.”
Laviolette is currently in Minsk, Belarus where he is head coaching the US team in the World Championships. He said shortly after being hired that he has already had the chance to speak with goaltender Pekka Rinne, as both are staying in the same hotel. A statement by the club announcing the hiring said that Kevin McCarthy, Lane Lambert, and Phil Housley will serve as assistant coach.
“Having reached the peak as a Stanley Cup Champion, Peter knows the intensity and urgency it will take to help our team reach its ultimate goal,” Poile said. “He is a great hockey mind who not only has a winning resume, but has done it with an aggressive offensive philosophy while also excelling in helping young players reach their potential. We look forward to Peter instilling his culture in Nashville immediately following his duties coaching the United States at the 2014 World Championship.”
If there’s any advantage he has over former head coach Barry Trotz, it’s that Laviolette has coached hockey in June. Laviolette has coached in two Stanley Cup Finals, winning with Carolina in 2006 and leading the Flyers to the Final in his first season there in 2010 before falling to the Chicago Blackhawks.
” I want to take what I know and I want to move forward. I want to try to get that identity instilled into the team and watch our team grow,” he said.
As for his coaching style, he shares the same vision with Poile in that he wants to make the team stronger on offense. One of the downsides to the Trotz regime was they lacked offensive power as he established a defensive identity. They will have plenty of roster and cap space to add talent should the ownership desire. The only forwards not currently under contract are Nick Spaling and Patrick Eaves. While they no longer have David Legwand (who went to Detroit at the trade deadline) they still have a core of Patric Hornqvist, Mike Fisher, and Craig Smith all under contract for next season with the later two entering the final year of their contracts.
On the defensive side, they have their top two defensemen and goalie Rinne locked up long term. After being able to keep Norris Trophy nominee Shea Weber in the Music City for many years, they also have Roman Josi locked up six more seasons. Rinne is signed until 2019.
Being an NHL head coach for 12 seasons, one thing he will have to experience for the first time is coaching in the Western conference. The West is perceived as more competitive and more difficult than the East. Five of the past seven Stanley Cup champions have come from the West, and this season five of the top seven regular-season records came from Western teams. “Even with regard to the travel and the arenas, I’m not as well-versed in the West, but I’ve been there and I’ve done it before, and I don’t really see that being a problem,” he said.
