After he was fired from the New York Rangers following a disappointing 2024-25 season, former Boston Bruins assistant coach Peter Laviolette sat out this past season. However, like all coaches, he got the inch to return behind the bench after a year off.
It's not surprising that Laviolette wants to get back behind the bench as was reported earlier this spring. There are some jobs that opened up, including the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. All three are very desireable jobs. In the case of Edmonton and Los Angeles, they are in win now mode, while Toronto is setting themselves up with the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft later this month for a quick retool on the fly.
However, Laviolette is landing back behind the bench, this time with the Kings, who were swept in the first round of the playoffs this season by the Colorado Avalanche.
Former Bruins assistant coach Peter Laviolette reportedly hired as Los Angeles Kings next head coach
Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet reported that Laviolette was going to be named the next head coach of the Kings. He was also reportedly in the mix for the jobs with the Oilers and Maple Leafs. This shouldn't come as a surprise as Laviolette has had success behind the bench and is the seasoned head coach Los Angeles was seeking.
However, he was not their top choice as it was rumored that another former Bruins coach, Bruce Cassidy, was interviewing for the position in LA. The biggest name available in the coaching cycle after he was fired late in the season by the Vegas Golden Knights, he's been blocked, to put it politely, from inteviewing for other positions by the Golden Knights. We'll see what happens after the Stanley Cup Final is over.
As for Laviolette, he has a lot of success behind the bench with the Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators in the postseason. In the 2023-24 season, he led the New York Rangers to a 55-23-4 regular season before they were bounced by the Florida Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference Final.
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