Rangers hire Laviolette as new head coach

The New York Rangers have hired Peter Laviolette as their new head coach, the team announced Tuesday.

Laviolette and the Washington Capitals agreed to part ways in April after the club failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14. He spent three seasons behind the bench in D.C., amassing a 115-78-27 record.

Long-term injuries to key players decimated Washington this campaign, with the team finishing sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 12 points out of a playoff spot with a 35-37-10 record. Tom Wilson, Nicklas Backstrom, and John Carlson all played less than half of the season.

The Capitals never advanced past the first round during Laviolette's tenure.

Laviolette will succeed Gerard Gallant in the Big Apple. Gallant coached the Rangers for two seasons, piloting them to the Eastern Conference Final in his first campaign behind the bench.

"We are thrilled that Peter will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers," general manager Chris Drury said. "With Peter's extensive experience as a head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team."

New York announced Gallant's departure shortly after the team was eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the first round this spring.

Gallant and Drury reportedly had a heated exchange following the Rangers' Game 4 loss to the Devils that tied the series.

Laviolette's 752 wins in 1,430 games as a head coach ranks eighth on the NHL's all-time list. In addition to the Capitals, he's served as bench boss of the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators.

The 58-year-old won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and led the Flyers and Predators to Stanley Cup Final appearances.

The Capitals replaced Laviolette with former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Spencer Carbery.