As Peter Laviolette returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time since being fired by the New York Rangers and as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, memories of his two-year tenure in Manhattan are still fresh. Addressing the elephant in the room, Laviolette made a comment that put Chris Drury and the front office on notice in the 2026-27 NHL season.
After showing Laviolette the door, the Rangers were determined to flip the script. Even though Mike Sullivan’s first season in town was nothing like what the team had expected, his second year is off to a much better start. And if Laviolette’s experience serves as a lesson, it might actually be for the best.
“It was kind of a tale of two years. The first year was really good, I mean, most wins and most points and a very storied franchise. Took it to three rounds to Florida and lost in Game 6, and that was disappointing.
“Overall, looking back at that year, it was really good. It was something that I’ll remember being here in New York. Obviously, the second year was not as smooth and had problems inside of it,“ Laviolette admitted, via Mollie Walker of the New York Post.
Peter Laviolette during a press conference at Madison Square Garden.
Laviolette shines light on Rangers’ problems
Laviolette’s statement isn’t exactly groundbreaking news. The Rangers’ struggles in the 2024-25 NHL campaign were impossible to miss, and it all started up in the suite level with the front office. Thus, Laviolette taking aim at the problems within the organization is a clear, if not-so-subtle, shot at Drury and company.
In Laviolette’s final season in New York, he witnessed a flurry of moves, including the trades of Kaapo Kakko, Jacob Trouba, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, and Jimmy Vesey, among many others. In the end, Laviolette got the shortest end of the stick and was fired just one year after helping New York reach the Eastern Conference Final, record the most points and wins in franchise history, and win the Presidents’ Trophy.
Laviolette vs NY Rangers
The magic was lost in 2024-25, and the Blueshirts didn’t hesitate to show Laviolette the door. Meanwhile, Drury and company stayed in charge, with both hits and misses ever since.
Finally, after spending a season away from the league, Laviolette is at the helm of the Kings and will face the Rangers again in the NHL. And if it wasn’t clear heading into the matchup, there are still doubts that all is water under the bridge, with some bad blood seemingly remaining.
Key takeaways
- Peter Laviolette targeted Chris Drury and front-office leadership following his New York Rangers exit.
- Mike Sullivan enters his second season coaching after replacing Peter Laviolette in New York.
- The New York Rangers fired Peter Laviolette one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.
