Kings task veteran HC Peter Laviolette with leading a new era for franchise

A proven winner from multiple stops, the 61-year-old Laviolette most recently spent two seasons behind the New York Rangers' bench. He was dismissed after missing the playoffs in 2024-25, but he guided the Rangers all the way to the Eastern Conference Final the prior. 

But the up-and-down nature of his time with the Rangers doesn't tell the whole story of his long career as an NHL coach. 

Peter Laviolette has won everywhere he's been for over two decades 

Laviolette landed his first head-coaching opportunity in 2001 with the New York Islanders, earning two playoff appearances before moving on for a five-year run with the Carolina Hurricanes, highlighted by winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. He would return to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season with the Philadelphia Flyers in the spring of 2010, losing in six games. 

After being fired by the Flyers, Laviolette embarked on his next chapter — a six-year stretch with the Nashville Predators that also included coming up short of his second ring with a Stanley Cup Final loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17. 

Laviolette even coached Alexander Ovechkin for three years in between his time with Predators and Rangers. 

Peter Laviolette is up for the challenge and dealing with pressure 

All in all, Laviolette has amassed an 846-562 regular-season record and another 88 wins in the playoffs. He has a long track record of quickly turning teams around, putting together at least one big run during his tenure and knowing how to deal with star players. 

Based on where the Kings are — a playoff team not yet ready to truly contend — Laviolette is the perfect fit to deal with the pressure of Los Angeles and an organization not looking to take a step back before it really gets going again.