New York Rangers Fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette After Disappointing Season

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Rangers have made a significant change in leadership, relieving head coach Peter Laviolette and associate head coach Phil Housley of their duties, General Manager Chris Drury announced on Saturday. This decision follows a disappointing 2024-25 season in which the team finished with a 39-36-7 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

“Today I informed Peter Laviolette and Phil Housley that we’re making a coaching change,” Drury stated. “I want to thank them both and wish them and their families all the best going forward. Peter is first-class all the way, both professionally and personally, and I am truly grateful for his passion and dedication to the Rangers in his time as head coach.” Drury emphasized that a change was necessary to better align the team with its organizational goals going forward.

Under Laviolette’s guidance, the Rangers had a stellar 2023-24 season, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. The team achieved a remarkable 55 wins and 114 points, showcasing resilience with a league-leading 28 comeback victories. However, the 2024-25 season offered a stark contrast, marked by significant struggles that led to the dismissal.

The Rangers’ performance deteriorated across multiple metrics. Notably, the offense dropped sharply; star player Mika Zibanejad saw a dramatic decline in effectiveness, with the Rangers being outscored 52 to 43 during his ice time in five-on-five play. Additionally, the team’s power play plummeted from third to 28th in the league. Zibanejad’s struggles mirrored a broader trend, with fellow veteran Chris Kreider also facing performance challenges.

The Rangers’ poor performance extended into their statistical rankings. The team’s expected goals percentage at five-on-five play fell to 48.8%, while shooting percentages dipped significantly from high-danger areas. Despite finishing the year strong with back-to-back victories against playoff-bound teams, the overall failure to meet expectations led to Laviolette’s exit.

This dismissal marks the second consecutive firing of a Rangers head coach after just two seasons, mirroring the tenure of Laviolette’s predecessor, Gerard Gallant. Prior to Gallant, David Quinn was the last coach to remain with the Rangers for more than two seasons, illustrating a trend of instability within the coaching staff.

Drury noted the frustrations that permeated the Rangers’ locker room, complicating Laviolette’s ability to effect change. “While there wasn’t much Laviolette could do about the outside noise… he didn’t exactly make drastic changes to the lineup or system to pull the Blueshirts out of their funk,” Drury added.

Assistant coaches Dan Muse and Michael Peca are expected to interview for the head coaching position, although the Rangers are still defining the profile they seek in Laviolette’s successor. With offseason roster changes on the horizon, the organization is poised to regroup and refocus their efforts for the next season.

Laviolette’s departure concludes his tenure with the Rangers, during which he posted a regular-season record of 94-59-11 and a playoff record of 10-5-1. The next steps for the franchise aim to restore competitive balance and meet the high expectations that the team has set.