NHL News: Peter Laviolette makes very honest admission about his future with Rangers after dramatic season

It had become an open secret within the organization, but now it’s official — the New York Rangers missed the postseason in the 2024-25 NHL season, placing head coach Peter Laviolette firmly on the hot seat. Ahead of what could be his final games behind the Rangers’ bench, Laviolette delivered a firm statement on where his mindset stands.

It’s been a complete letdown of a season for the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winners. The Rangers became just the fourth team in NHL history to miss the postseason the year after finishing with the league’s best regular-season record. Even more concerning, the Broadway Blueshirts are now the only franchise to suffer that fate twice.

Though the Rangers remained mathematically alive in the playoff race until Game No. 80, hope had long abandoned fans at Madison Square Garden. The team failed to deliver playoff-worthy performances all year, and this gut-wrenching ending had been expected for quite some time—by both the fans and the organization.

Laviolette has been under the microscope all season, along with the players and front office. Everyone played a role in this historic collapse, but the head coach may be the first to be shown the exit door in Manhattan.

Head coach of the New York Rangers Peter Laviolette arrives for the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on April 10, 2025 in Elmont, New York.

“I think everything gets looked at when a year is not good like this. I’m not blind to anything,” Peter Laviolette told the media after New York’s morning skate on Sunday. “I love being here with these guys and the New York Rangers. It’s a year where everything went right to a year where things didn’t go right. When things don’t go right, I’m sure everything gets looked at. I’m not naive.

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Peter Laviolette makes painful statement after Rangers miss the NHL playoffs

“That being said, this is the place I want to be was New York City, the New York Rangers. It’s a great organization, great city, great family. It’s just tough right now, everybody’s faced with disappointment. Everybody I just mentioned is faced with disappointment today and I get that. There’s always things that are looked at.”

Cold dagger

After last season’s Eastern Conference Final loss, the bar was set even higher for Laviolette’s Rangers — but they fell painfully short of clearing it. New York dropped its fourth game in five outings on Saturday, as the Carolina Hurricanes routed them 7-3, hammering the final nail into the Rangers’ coffin.

“I think there’s always expectation here. I think every year this team has gone in expecting to be successful, expecting to win a Stanley Cup. The disappointment is real. From everybody’s standpoint. Even tonight, we didn’t do the right things well enough to be successful. We give up 3 goals point blank in front of our net. Can’t happen.”

Where to from here?

The Rangers now head into a tumultuous offseason, with major decisions looming for GM Chris Drury and the front office. As for the remainder of their schedule, New York will visit the Florida Panthers on April 14, before closing out the season at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 17 at Madison Square Garden.