Between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, the New York Rangers posted a combined record of 94-59-11, making the Eastern Conference Finals in one of those two seasons and winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2024.
However, despite that success, the team parted ways with head coach Peter Laviolette, who has coached in a total of 1,594 games in his NHL career, with the team opting to move forward with Mike Sullivan instead, who led them to the 30th best record in the NHL this past season.
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Since then, not a whole lot has been spoken about Laviolette, as his contract with the New York Rangers ran through the end of this season, but as of June 30th, he is free to pursue any coaching role in the NHL that he would like.
Now, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun has revealed new details on Laviolette's potential return, stating that he's had preliminary discussions with a few teams, naming the Los Angeles Kings as one such team.
"Peter Laviolette, fired in April of 2025 by the New York Rangers, has had preliminary discussions with a couple of teams, according to league sources. His contract with the Rangers expires June 30," writes LeBrun. "The Kings are one of those teams, a league source confirms."
As of right now, it's unclear which other teams could be in contact with Laviolette, but with the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks all having vacancies, the 61-year-old Laviolette could be an option for any of those teams. There's another wrinkle with the Kings potential hiring as well, as it would reunite Laviolette with star winger Artemi Panarin, but given the way things ended in New York, it's unclear whether or not that would be a good thing.
Over his career, Laviolette has a record of .518 (846-562-25-161) while winning a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, and while there's other interesting coaches out there, he would be a good, proven hire for the Kings if that's the direction they go in.
