Rangers reportedly close to naming former Stanley Cup champion as head coach

Just over a month after firing Gerard Gallant, the New York Rangers are getting close to naming their new head coach according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

In a tweet on Monday afternoon, Friedman said that momentum is growing for former Stanley Cup champion Peter Laviolette to be named the Rangers' new bench boss.


Laviolette, 58, mutually parted ways with the Washington Capitals back in April after the team missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014. The team also finished the season with a record below .500.


The Franklin (Massachusetts) native has been a head coach in the National Hockey League since 2001 and will be going into his 22nd season behind the bench in the Fall. The Rangers will be the sixth team that Laviolette has coached, following the Islanders, Hurricanes, Flyers, Predators and Capitals.

As a member of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, Laviolette guided the team to their first and only Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Several other names were linked to the Rangers' head coaching vacancy over the last month including Patrick Roy, Kris Knoblauch and John Hynes, the latter of whom was a college teammate of general manager Chris Drury. We'll have to wait for the official announcement of Laviolette's hiring, but it's certainly an interesting decision to bring him in.