Rangers Fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette, Associate Coach Phil Housley

The first shoe has dropped in what is likely to be a summer full of changes for the New York Rangers, as today the team announced it has fired head coach Peter Laviolette and associate coach Phil Housley.

In two seasons with the Rangers, Laviolette was 94-59-11 in the regular season. The team set a franchise record in wins (55) and points (114) in the 2023-24 season, on their way to a Presidents Trophy and an birth in the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers would go on to lose that series in six games to the Florida Panthers, giving Laviolette an overall playoff record of 10-6 with the Rangers.

As the 2024-25 season began to go sideways, Laviolette came in for more criticism for his handling of the team, its star players, and its younger and developing players, who frequently struggled to find ice time in Laviolette's lineup.

Also fired was associated head coach Phil Housley, who had been tasked with guiding the team's defense. Under Laviolette and Housley this year, the Rangers were sixth worse in the league in expected goals against and fifth worse in expected goals against per 60, according to MoneyPuck.

The Rangers also announced that assistant coaches Dan Muse and Michael Peca would be given an opportunity to interview for the vacant head coaching position, according to the New York Post's Mollie Walker.