New Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette: 'Let's go to work'
GREENBURGH — In his introductory news conference with the local media at the Rangers’ complex on Tuesday, new coach Peter Laviolette was asked what his message to the Blueshirts’ fans would be.
“My message, I guess to everybody, is ‘Let's go to work,’ ’’ Laviolette replied. “Let's get working . . . To me, it's about that work ethic that drives teams. And so, I would think that the messaging for me with the players is that we're going to start working in training camp, and then we're going to take it through the season, and try to prepare ourselves for the playoffs.’’
The idea of putting in hard work was a theme that Laviolette doubled back to a few times in his 20-minute presser, which he did with his boss, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury, sitting next to him. Drury hired Laviolette as the 37th coach in Rangers history a week earlier, concluding a five-and-a-half week coaching search after the organization parted ways with Gerard Gallant following the Rangers’ first-round playoff exit.
Laviolette, 58, touched on a few things that he thought would define his style as a coach. He’ll be organized (“There has to be a clear-cut plan on what it is that we're doing’’), and he’ll be able to adjust to the player personnel (“You always have to adapt . . . you have to be able to see what you have, and where your strengths are, and where your weaknesses are, and you have to play to that a little bit’’).
But perhaps the most notable thing he said had to do with young forwards Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière, who never seemed to blossom under Gallant. Lafrenière, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, and Kakko, the No. 2 overall in 2019, were generally limited to third-line roles under Gallant, while some of their contemporaries around the league (such as the Devils' Jack Hughes and Senators' Tim Stutzle) developed into stars with their teams.
Laviolette, who was criticized by some at his last coaching stop, in Washington for not necessarily being great at playing young players, suggested he wants to help Kakko, 22, and Lafrenière, 21, achieve more than they have.
“Those young players do need an opportunity to grow,’’ he said. “They have to be — not given [top-six forward roles], but they have to be given the opportunity to be counted on more . . . You certainly would like to see them take the next step. More minutes, maybe a little higher up the lineup, maybe more power-play time. And so, with that, there has to be opportunity . . . These conversations will take place.’’
As far as how he will want the Rangers to play, Laviolette sounded as if he wants an up-tempo game.
“For me, it's about the attack,’’ he said. “It's about pressuring; it's about puck pursuit. It's about the battle level; that ‘compete’ level; the grit. You know, it's that ‘grind’ in the game that makes teams great.
“You can't just flip a switch on that,’’ he said. “It has to be taught in training camp. It has to be worked on through the exhibition games. And it has to be pushed through the entire season, so that it's not something that you're asking to change or to flip a switch to be able to play playoff hockey. It's so that you're ready. You've prepared yourself the whole year to play playoff hockey.’’
Drury was asked what it was about Laviolette that made him the right choice to be the next Rangers coach, the one who will try to deliver the Stanley Cup.
“You know, as I went through the process, it just came clear to me all his attributes as a coach and as a person made sense for our team,’’ Drury said. “I truly believe his resume speaks for itself and commands respect on many, many different levels.’’
On that resume are five previous stints as a head coach in the NHL, including one with the Islanders from 2001-03 to start his career, a Stanley Cup title with Carolina in 2006, two other Stanley Cup Final appearances (with Philadelphia in 2010 and Nashville in 2017) and 752 victories over 21 seasons, the most by an American-born coach.
Laviolette said he had just met Norris Trophy finalist Adam Fox and has spoken to some players by phone since getting the job a week earlier. He hopes he’ll be able to talk to everyone on the team by the end of the month. As for his coaching staff, he said it hasn’t been fully assembled yet — there simply hasn’t been time — but reports are one of his assistants will be former Islanders captain Michael Peca, who worked with him years ago in Washington.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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