Laviolette a win away from joining elite company
Win and you're in.
The Nashville Predators are one victory shy of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. It'd mark the first trip for the 19-year-old franchise and the third for head coach Peter Laviolette.
Joining the Predators in 2014, Laviolette brought winning experience from his Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and Cup Final showing with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010.
Only three coaches have guided three franchises to the championship round: Scotty Bowman, Dick Irvin, and Mike Keenan.
While Laviolette doesn't get the same recognition as Chicago's Joel Quenneville, Washington's Barry Trotz, or Toronto's Mike Babcock, his playoff pedigree places him in the upper echelon.
Earlier this season, Laviolette became the second U.S.-born coach to win 500 games, one month after Columbus Blue Jackets bench boss John Tortorella did so. In league history, only 25 coaches have reached that total.
Laviolette is also the third coach since 1994 to guide three different clubs to the conference finals, joining Ken Hitchcock and Darryl Sutter.