Nashville Predators Name Peter Laviolette Head Coach

(photo: Associated Press)

The Nashville Predators have named Peter Laviolette the team’s next head coach.

Laviolette will be replacing Barry Trotz after his contract wasn’t renewed at the end of the season.  The Predators failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year.

Laviolette becomes the second coach in franchise history.  He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and then led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Finals in 2010, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.  He has also coached the New York Islanders and has a record of 389-282-25-63 in his career.

Laviolette was fired after an 0-3 start with the Flyers.  The team couldn’t score and just didn’t look ready to start the season.  He was replaced by Craig Berube, who helped lead the Flyers to the playoffs where they lost to the New York Rangers in the first round.

Laviolette will coach Team USA at the upcoming World Championships and he was an assistant coach for Team USA during the 2014 Winter Olympics.

He is an offensive-minded coach, the likes of which the Predators needed since they only scored 216 goals this past season.  Laviolette likes his forwards to push the pace and forecheck in the offensive zone.  He may not be the longterm answer for the Predators, but now there is one less coaching job to fill in the offseason.