History of Peter Laviolette in Timeline

Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American professional ice hockey coach, currently with the New York Rangers. Undrafted, he briefly played for the Rangers before transitioning to coaching. He's notable for his head coaching roles with the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, and Washington Capitals. Laviolette led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup victory in 2006, and later coached the Flyers (2010) and Predators (2017) to the Stanley Cup Finals. He is only the fourth coach in NHL history to coach three separate teams to the Stanley Cup Finals.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

December 7, 1964: Peter Laviolette Born

On December 7, 1964, Peter Philip Laviolette Jr. was born. He would later become an American professional ice hockey coach and former player.

Others born on this day/year

1998: Head Coach for Providence Bruins

In 1998, Peter Laviolette became head coach for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

2001: Named Head Coach of the New York Islanders

In 2001, Peter Laviolette became the head coach of the New York Islanders.

June 3, 2003: Fired by the New York Islanders

On June 3, 2003, Peter Laviolette was fired as head coach of the New York Islanders.

2003: Named Head Coach of Carolina Hurricanes

In 2003, Peter Laviolette became the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

2006: Hurricanes Win Stanley Cup

In 2006, Laviolette coached the Carolina Hurricanes to win their first Stanley Cup championship. He also coached the U.S. Olympic men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

November 7, 2008: Winningest American-born coach

On November 7, 2008, after his 240th victory, Laviolette moved past John Tortorella to become the winningest American-born coach in the NHL.

December 3, 2008: Fired as coach of the Hurricanes

On December 3, 2008, Laviolette was fired as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.

December 4, 2009: Hired as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers

On December 4, 2009, Laviolette replaced John Stevens as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

2009: Tortorella eclipses record

In 2009, John Tortorella eclipsed Laviolette's record of winningest American-born coach in the NHL.

May 24, 2010: Led Flyers to Stanley Cup Finals

On May 24, 2010, Peter Laviolette led the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.

April 1, 2012: Altercation with Penguins' Head Coach

On April 1, 2012, during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Laviolette was involved in an altercation with the Penguins' head coach Dan Bylsma after a late hit by Penguin Joe Vitale on Flyer Daniel Brière. Laviolette broke a stick and verbally confronted Bylsma and assistant coach Tony Granato.

2012: Popular Quotes from HBO Series

In 2012, the HBO series 24/7: Flyers/Rangers, which gave fans rare access to the Flyers locker room, led to many of Peter Laviolette's quotes becoming popular catch-phrases, such as, "We need to start playing with some jam," and, "It's about as casual as it gets."

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October 7, 2013: Fired by the Flyers

After a 0–3 start to the 2013-14 season, Peter Laviolette was fired by the Philadelphia Flyers on October 7, 2013.

May 6, 2014: Hired as head coach of the Nashville Predators

On May 6, 2014, Peter Laviolette was hired to become the head coach of the Nashville Predators.

January 8, 2015: Named coach for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game

On January 8, 2015, Peter Laviolette and his Nashville staff were chosen to coach one of the teams in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game for having the highest points percentage in the NHL.

February 4, 2015: Franchise record ninth consecutive home win

On February 4, 2015, Laviolette guided the Predators to a franchise record ninth consecutive home win with a 4–3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

May 22, 2017: Predators win Western Conference Championship

On May 22, 2017, Peter Laviolette guided the Predators to the franchise's first Western Conference Championship by beating the Ducks 6–3 to move on to the Stanley Cup Finals.

June 11, 2017: Predators Eliminated in Stanley Cup Finals

On June 11, 2017, the Nashville Predators were eliminated at home 2-0 in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

January 6, 2020: Fired by the Predators

On January 6, 2020, Peter Laviolette was fired by the Nashville Predators.

February 26, 2020: Named head coach of US Men's National Team

On February 26, 2020, Peter Laviolette was named head coach of the United States men's national team.

September 15, 2020: Named head coach of the Washington Capitals

On September 15, 2020, Peter Laviolette was named head coach of the Washington Capitals.

2021: Laviolette Regains Winningest American-Born Coach Record

In 2021, while coaching the Washington Capitals, Peter Laviolette regained the lead as the winningest American-born coach in the NHL.

April 14, 2023: Laviolette and Capitals part ways

On April 14, 2023, Peter Laviolette and the Washington Capitals mutually agreed to part ways after the team missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2013–14 season.