After playing his first three games in the NHL, rookie Gabe Perreault has been scratched by New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette. The controversial decision amid a chaotic campaign, feels like the straw that broke the camel’s back for fans in The Big Apple who have ran out of patience with the second-year bench boss in NYC.
The Broadway Blueshirts are approaching their final act of the NHL season, and it’s shaping up to be a soul-crushing ending to what has been a dramatic storyline all year long. Though not officially eliminated from playoff contention, the odds aren’t in the Rangers‘ favor as they head into their final five games of the season.
Amid this scenario, Laviolette’s decision to healthy scratch Perreault from the Rangers’ upcoming test against the Philadelphia Flyers on April 9, has fans scratching their heads.
While Laviolette acknowledges his decision can make noise around the Blueshirts, the head coach issued an honest statement, explaining his thought process and making it clear Perreault is still expected to play more games this season.
“Coaches will sit down and go through things with [Perreault]– the times where done some things that he’s had an impact, and times where he can be better,” Laviolette said about scratching Perreault, via lohud. “The players that come right from college, not always is it right into the NHL and into the lineup in an impactful situation.
“There’s a learning process that goes with it. I think playing games is important. I think practicing at a high level is important. There’s video that goes with it. There’s communication. There’s sometimes taking a step back and watching a game, too. Other players are sitting out, as well, that we want to continue to look at and put into the lineup.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same
It’s undeniable that the Rangers have endured a wild series of changes throughout the 2024-25 NHL season. The roster in New York moved on from key veterans and talents in what has been a rollercoaster of a campaign.
However, as the saying goes: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Laviolette’s shocking decision on Perreault echoed what many consider his most controversial move of the season. After healthy scratching forward Kaapo Kakko, tensions flared between the coach and the Finnish winger, eventually leading to Kakko’s trade to Seattle.
Many fans felt Kakko got the short end of the stick, benched while veteran players retained ice time—and now, a similar frustration is brewing following the disputed call on Perreault.
Almost nonsensical move
Moreover, the decision to scratch the former first-round pick from the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, shortly after signing him to his entry-level contract (ELC), feels puzzling at best.
Since the rookie is already burning the first year of his ELC, it would make much more sense for the Rangers to get some use out of him during this limited window—rather than wasting it with Perreault watching from a suite in Madison Square Garden.