Coaching Notes: Laviolette, Roy, Bednar

The Los Angeles Kings spoke with head coaching candidate Peter Laviolette, Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic reports. 

Last serving as head coach of the New York Rangers until his firing one year ago, the 61-year-old sat out 2025-26 but seems to be gearing back up with several openings up for grabs. Known for his fast-paced aggressive systems always in “win-now” mode, Laviolette’s teams are often quick to make noise, something which fits Los Angeles’ objectives with a locked up core, no plans in store to take an intentional step back after legend Anže Kopitar’s retirement. 

The Kings still have interim D.J. Smith in the mix, but they’ve been noncommittal especially after being sent packing in the first round in just four games. Any club set to hire Laviolette this summer would become his seventh, and they’d hope to become the fourth he’d lead to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Elsewhere across the league:

• Sticking on the coaching front, Lebrun also reported in the article above that no team has yet asked the Islanders for permission to speak with Patrick Roy, who was fired by New York in April. Landing on Long Island mid-season in 2023 after nearly eight years out of such a position, Roy had a solid start to his tenure, making the playoffs which ended unceremoniously. In the last two seasons his Islanders were unable to take another meaningful step forward, with a late season collapse dooming their season and prompting the change. The storied goaltender may have to wait until the next cycle in a calendar year to find another opportunity, but either way he’ll stay busy as a part-owner of Bordeaux, a professional French team in Ligue Magnus. 
• As for teams still in action, Chris Johnston of The Athletic speculated on Jared Bednar’s future, the Colorado head coach finding his club down 3-0 to Vegas in the Conference Final. By no means out yet, if the sweep is completed tonight, tough questions will be raised with another year of the Avalanche’s window coming and going. Making it this far was a step forward, the first time they passed the second round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. Injuries have also been a factor, but going out with a whimper would be tough for a team which won 55 games in the regular season. Johnston raised the fact that it’s happened before, Dallas firing Peter DeBoer after their Western Conference Finals defeat just last season. Time will tell, but it’s fair to say that teams on the coaching hunt will at least keep a watchful eye on Bednar depending on Game 4’s result. Even if he returns, other changes behind the bench are a strong possibility.