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New York Rangers Confirm Coaching Staff Additions

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The New York Rangers have confirmed the hires of three previously reported coaching staff additions this morning. Former Buffalo Sabres head coach Phil Housley has been named an associate head coach, while Dan Muse and Michael Peca were named assistant coaches.

Housley is the main attraction here, bringing over two decades of coaching experience (nearly a decade in the NHL) to the Rangers’ completely overhauled bench, led by veteran head coach Peter Laviolette. Housley had worked under Laviolette with the Nashville Predators from four seasons (2013 to 2017) before heading to Buffalo, where he spent the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns as their head coach. He then spent three years as an assistant coach with the Arizona Coyotes until the 2022-23 campaign, which he took off from coaching.

Housley also has a solid bit of experience dealing with younger players and achieving success in the process, capturing the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship with the United States. Muse joins him in that regard, spending the last three seasons as the coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program, which has churned out a number of elite prospects such as Cutter Gauthier, Frank Nazar, Jimmy Snuggerud, Lane Hutson, Logan Cooley, and Luke Hughes, as well as 2023 eligibles such as Gabe Perreault, Oliver Moore, Ryan Leonard, and Will Smith in that time. He was the video coach for Housley’s win at the 2013 World Juniors and got a gold medal of his own as the Americans’ head coach at this year’s U18 World Juniors tournament.

Muse and Peca have both also worked with Laviolette, with Muse spending three years as an assistant in Nashville while Peca worked with Laviolette as a player development coach with the Washington Capitals in 2020-21. The Rangers didn’t disclose the specific roles each coach will be taking on with the team.

The additions fill out a coaching staff that was nearly wiped clean after the team parted ways with head coach Gerard Gallant and assistants Gord Murphy, Jim Midgley, and Mike Kelly. Only goaltending coach Benoit Allaire remains from last year’s core coaching staff.

New York Rangers Hire Phil Housley

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Earlier today, there were reports indicating that Peter Laviolette and the New York Rangers had an interest in bringing in Phil Housley as an assistant coach for the team’s upcoming season, and that’s exactly what they did. Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports that Housley will indeed be joining Laviolette’s staff as an assistant coach for the Rangers.

Before the Nashville Predators brought in Laviolette prior to the 2014-15 season, Housley had actually already spent a season on Nashville’s bench. The two would go on to coach the next three years with each other, helping the Predators to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Because of his success in Nashville, the Buffalo Sabres were the first team to give Housley a shot at head coaching, beginning before the 2017-18 season. In 164 games spent manning the bench in Buffalo, Housley would produce a record of 58-84-22, well outside the playoff picture in both years.

After being fired from the Sabres after the 2018-19 season, the Arizona Coyotes, along with then-head coach Rick Tocchet signed Housley to a multi-year deal. During his time with the Coyotes, which ended after the 2021-22 season, Housley was primarily used as the team’s defensive and power play coach.

Aside from Laviolette bringing in some familiar faces to his coaching staff, this is quite the shrewd move for Housley as well. Since the run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, Housley has failed to be on the bench of a competitive team. During those separate times with the Sabres and Coyotes, Housley did not manage to find any success at all. Joining a Rangers team that is expected to contend for the Cup next year, this will be an opportunity for Housley to gain back confidence and strengthen his resume.

East Notes: Muse, Housley, Sanderson

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The new head coach of the New York Rangers, Peter Laviolette, is working diligently on getting the rest of his bench filled out for the upcoming season. In the last 36 hours, one name has already been inked, as former player Michael Peca will be brought on to serve as an assistant coach.

Adding to that list, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports that Dan Muse will also be brought on to serve as an assistant coach on the Rangers’ bench. This will not be Muse’s first shot in the NHL, as he served under Laviolette with the Nashville Predators from 2017-20.

Since then, Muse has been serving as head coach of the United States U18 team, coaching the team to a gold medal finish last April in Switzerland. Adding to his winning pedigree before his time in Nashville, Muse was also an assistant coach for Yale University from 2009-2015, helping his team win the 2013 Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship against Quinnipiac University.

Other notes:

  • Like Muse, there may be another former Nashville coach joining Laviolette in the Big Apple, as Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reports that Laviolette has interest in bringing in Phil Housley. After his time in Nashville came to end in 2017, Housley signed on with the Buffalo Sabres as head coach, only to be fired after his second year. Currently employed as an assistant coach for the Arizona Coyotes, Housley is most well known for his 21-year career in the NHL, scoring a total of 1,232 points in 1,495 career games.
  • Ottawa Senators defenseman, Jake Sanderson, has switched agents, now being represented by mega-agent Pat Brisson of CAA Hockey (Tweet Link). Although under contract already with the Senators, the change could mean a lot for Sanderson this summer. Entering the last season of his entry-level contract signed back in 2022, Sanderson could sign a long-term extension with Ottawa this offseason.

Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces 2023 Inductees

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Today is the day many hockey lifers have been waiting for, as a few esteemed individuals will get their call from the Hall today. The 2023 class will be as follows:

Ken Hitchcock – builder
Pierre Lacroix – builder (posthumously)
G Tom Barrasso – player
G Henrik Lundqvist – player
F Caroline Ouellette – player
F Pierre Turgeon – player
G Mike Vernon – player

Hitchcock’s induction as a builder comes as no surprise. He’s been a staple in the NHL coaching fraternity for decades, known for his tactical brilliance and ability to transform teams into contenders. With a career spanning over 1,500 games coached, Hitchcock boasts an impressive coaching resume that includes a Stanley Cup victory with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and a Jack Adams Award with the St. Louis Blues in 2012. Known for his meticulous attention to detail and emphasis on defensive play, he’s left an indelible mark on the sport. After stints with the Stars (twice), Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers, Hitchcock last coached in 2018-19.

Lacroix’s posthumous induction is obviously a bit of a bittersweet moment. As the former general manager of the Colorado Avalanche, Lacroix was instrumental in building one of the most dominant teams of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Under his guidance, the Avalanche won two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. Best known for pulling off one of the most impactful trades in NHL history by acquiring netminder Patrick Roy from the Montreal Canadiens, Lacroix was Colorado’s general manager dating back to the team’s final season in Quebec, 1994-95, before transitioning to a president role in 2006. Lacroix passed in December 2020 at the age of 72.

To the surprise of many, this year’s class includes a trio of goalies – although a notable absence remains in Curtis Joseph, who sits seventh in league history in wins and games played. Barrasso was a name many had wondered about for a while in regards to his Hall of Fame likelihood, known for his fierce competitiveness and exceptional athleticism. He backstopped the Pittsburgh Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup victories in 1991 and 1992, and although his career numbers of a .892 save percentage and 3.24 save percentage are far from impressive (even for his era), he was known as one of the more clutch goalies in the league over his 19-season career. The five-time Vezina nominee totaled 777 NHL games, mostly with the Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. 51 of those 777 games were spent in short stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now, for the only first-time eligible player on this list, Lundqvist (or “The King” to most in New York) captured many hearts during a long and admirable career with the Rangers. One of the best to ever play the position without winning a Stanley Cup, Lundqvist’s consistency allowed him to be the nucleus of Rangers teams that routinely made it deep into the playoffs throughout the 2010s. He was a perennial Vezina Trophy finalist and became the Rangers’ all-time leader in wins, clearing second-place Mike Richter by over 150. He technically retired as a member of the Washington Capitals, although a career-ending heart issue kept him out of the lineup during his only season there.

Vernon is the true wild card on this list, although he made a name for himself as the backbone of the Calgary Flames, leading them to their first and only Stanley Cup victory in 1989. His fiery demeanor and unwavering determination made him a fan favorite in the city, and he’s among the top 25 netminders in NHL history in terms of longevity. One Vezina nomination and play that wavered wildly throughout his career may have made his election to the Hall a surprise for some, but he is one of the more hallowed names in Flames history.

On the offensive side, Ouellette’s induction solidifies her as one of the most prolific scorers of the 21st century. A longtime member of the Canadian women’s national team, Ouellett has an unparalleled list of achievements in women’s hockey. She captured four Olympic gold medals while recording 1.3 points per game, six World Championship gold medals, and four CWHL championships. She was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019 and named to the IIHF Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Last but not least is Turgeon, whose offensive prowess and playmaking ability made him a natural choice for induction. Over his 19-year NHL career, Turgeon amassed over 1,300 points and showcased his scoring touch with five seasons of 40-plus goals. Known for his smooth skating and exceptional vision on the ice, Turgeon was a force to be reckoned with, leaving a lasting impression with the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues – also spending chunks of time with the Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche.

It’ll have to wait another year for notably snubbed stars like Alexander Mogilny and Sergei Gonchar, both of whom should be statistical locks based on some comparable players who’ve already been inducted.

New York Rangers To Hire Mike Peca

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Wake up, Mike, you’re headed to the Big Apple. Late last night Jeff Marek of Sportsnet reported that Mike Peca will be joining the New York Rangers coaching staff. Peca will be on the bench as an assistant alongside Peter Laviolette.

The former NHL forward has spent nearly his entire career in the state of New York. Captain of both the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders during his playing days, he then joined the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in a managerial and coaching role, before serving as an assistant with the Rochester Americans the last two seasons.

Though he never played for the Rangers, he’ll be familiar with the coaching style of his new boss. Laviolette was Peca’s coach with the Islanders for two years, including during his career-best 60-point campaign in 2001-02, after being given the captaincy.

In all, Peca registered 465 points in 864 NHL games, while taking home the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward on two occasions. This will be his first NHL coaching role.

Travis Green Reportedly Joining New Jersey Devils Coaching Staff

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Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green is reportedly set to join the New Jersey Devils coaching staff under head coach Lindy Ruff, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’ll fill the role vacated by Andrew Brunette, who was hired by Barry Trotz and the Nashville Predators to be their next head coach.

Per Friedman, Green chose New Jersey over a few other options, such as joining the coaching staff of either the Calgary Flames or Toronto Maple Leafs. With the Devils, Green will get the opportunity to coach a team bursting at the seams with young talent and high-end players.

The Devils took a major step forward this past season, defeating their arch-rival New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs and cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the Metropolitan Division.

Their future looks bright, and it’s a future Green will now get to be a part of. Joining Ruff’s bench seems a wise choice for a coach likely looking to earn another chance to be an NHL bench boss.

The Devils look like a team that could soon contend for a Stanley Cup, and with one assistant already plucked from Ruff’s staff to be a head coach elsewhere it would be no surprise to see a future where teams come calling with interest in hiring Green.

In Brunette’s vacated role Green will be responsible for running the Devils power play. The Devils ranked 13th in the NHL with a 21.9% power play percentage, and Green will hope to improve that number next season.

There’s surely an opportunity for growth on a power play unit that boasts one of the league’s best offensive defensemen, Dougie Hamilton, alongside star forwards such as Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. Green also has to be excited at the prospect of having Timo Meier, who the Devils acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a mid-season trade.

Vancouver’s power play ranked fourth in the NHL in 2019-20 under Green, and also managed a top-10 finish in 2017-18. But in both 2018-19 and 2020-21, Vancouver’s man advantage was outside the NHL’s top 20 and as head coach of the Utica Comets Green’s power play was never among the AHL’s best.

The most significant determinant of a power play unit’s success is personnel, of course, but Devils fans must nonetheless be excited by some of the high power play rankings on Green’s resume.

Green, 52, played nearly 1,000 games in his NHL playing career and was a head coach in Vancouver for nearly five seasons. While he dealt with some significant challenges and his tenure ultimately ended in disappointment, he did have his moments behind the bench for the Canucks.

He led them on a surprising playoff run in the Edmonton bubble in 2019-20, with his team nearly knocking off the Vegas Golden Knights to reach the Western Conference Final.

Now he’ll get his second chance to coach in the NHL, and it’s with an entirely new team.

He does have one notable connection to the Devils organization: their current AHL affiliate is the Comets, the team Green coached for four seasons and led to the Calder Cup Final in 2015 back when it was the affiliate of the Canucks. Now, the former Utica bench boss will get to coach a host of former Comets players in New Jersey.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Afternoon Notes: Hellebuyck, Bear, Thompson

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Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that Winnipeg Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck is looking for a contract with an average annual value around $9.5MM. LeBrun says that teams looking to trade for the 30-year-old are aware of what Hellebuyck’s camp are seeking in contract negotiations. If Hellebuyck were to get that salary it would put him in the same pay bracket as Tampa Bay Lighting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Hellebuyck was the 2020 Vezina award winner for top goaltender and has a long track record of putting up elite numbers. However, he has had a handful of poor seasons and with teams having just seen the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup with Adin Hill between the pipes, there might be a hesitancy to pay a premium in a trade and an expensive cap hit for a goalie who is on the wrong side of 30. You can’t fault Hellebuyck for asking for the moon as he is nominated once again for the Vezina award after a terrific season in Winnipeg posting a 37-25-2 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV tweeted today that it appears the Vancouver Canucks have had discussions with defenseman Ethan Bear’s representatives about several contract possibilities. The tweet comes on the heels of a conversation with Bear’s agent Jason Davidson who said that they’ve discussed several options, but a one-year deal may be the way to go for the 25-year-old. It’s an interesting idea from Bear’s camp given that the defender is out until December after undergoing shoulder surgery this week. Bear is a year away from unrestricted free agency and the allure of picking his long term destination may be worth the roll of the dice.
  • Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweeted today that Bruce Cassidy told reporters that goaltender Logan Thompson is skating and should be 100% by training camp. Thompson started the year as Vegas’ number one goaltender but suffered a lower body injury in February and did not play again. When healthy the 26-year-old posted good numbers going 21-13-3 with a .915 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average. If Thompson is ready to go it could give Vegas leverage in their contract negotiations with pending free agent netminder Adin Hill. Thompson would be a solid fallback option should Hill elect to test the market and move on.

Snapshots: Murphy, Tkachuk, Michkov

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While the New York Rangers filled the final head coaching vacancy in the league today, officially hiring Peter Laviolette, their offseason work is far from over. The Rangers and Laviolette will need to fill out the rest of his staff, which, per The New York Post’s Mollie Walker, will not include assistant coach Gord Murphy.

Goalie coach Benoit Allaire will be the only returning member from last year’s coaching staff. The Rangers relieved former head coach Gerard Gallant’s other assistants, Mike Kelly and Jim Midgley, early last month.

Murphy had been on the Rangers’ staff only as long as Gallant had: two seasons. He was an internal promotion, though, spending two years with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as an associate head coach from 2019 to 2021. The long-time NHL defender and father of Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy, Gord also spent lengthy stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant.

More from around the league today:

  • Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice offered no update on the status of star winger Matthew Tkachuk before tonight’s do-or-die Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Tkachuk has not practiced with the team since their Game 4 loss, and his availability for tonight remains up in the air after a hard hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar in Game 3. Already without the services of Eetu Luostarinen at forward as well, either Givani Smith or Grigori Denisenko could slot into the lineup tonight if Tkachuk can’t go. Smith played just over five minutes in one game during the First Round against Boston, while it would be Denisenko’s playoff debut.
  • Yesterday, reporting indicated that early presumptive top-two pick Matvei Michkov could fall completely out of the top 10 choices when the 2023 NHL Draft occurs this month. Today, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman spoke to a panel of anonymous NHL executives and scouts about a myriad of topics, including the perception of Michkov around the league. Multiple executives and scouts still had Michkov pegged in the top two or three spots in the draft, even considering his contract situation and the Russian geopolitical climate. Others were harsher on his play, with one scout saying, “you have a [5-foot-9] not-amazing-skating, average-compete winger.” What did appear clear in the responses, though, was that the extraneous factors surrounding Michkov’s development and NHL future weren’t a huge concern.

New York Rangers Hire Peter Laviolette

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June 13: The New York Post reported the New York Rangers were expected to name Laviolette their head coach today, and an official announcement from the team came in minutes later. General manager Chris Drury offered a statement:

We are thrilled that Peter will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers. With Peter’s extensive experience as a Head Coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team.

June 12: Shortly after the Calgary Flames named Ryan Huska their 21st head coach in franchise history, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the New York Rangers are prepared to name their 44th. Although nothing is officially complete now, Friedman writes that Peter Laviolette will man the bench for the Rangers next season unless something dramatic changes.

In just over two years spent as head coach of New York, the Rangers recently let go of head coach Gerard Gallant. In those two seasons spent in New York, Gallant coached the Rangers to a 99-46-19 record, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022, and the first round of the playoffs in 2023. Coaching a team currently constructed as a Stanley Cup contender, the lack of playoff success likely pushed Gallant out the door.

About two weeks before Gallant’s exit in New York, Laviolette was also shown the door by his former employer, the Washington Capitals. Also coaching a team with expectations of playoff success, the Capitals finished this season with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs entirely. After coaching in the United States Capital for three seasons, Laviolette finished his career in Washington with a coaching record of 115-78-27, including two first-round exits.

Although Gallant was able to coach the upstart Vegas Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, Laviolette is much more of a proven winner as a head coach. His first head coaching job in the NHL came all the way back during the 2001-02 season, coaching the New York Islanders for two seasons. Finishing his Islanders’ tenure with a 77-62-19-6 record, Laviolette was able to get the Islanders to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

After the Carolina Hurricanes fired then-head coach Paul Maurice after the 2002-03 season, Laviolette quickly joined on as head coach to replace him. Spending five seasons in Carolina, Laviolette’s stay with the Hurricanes was somewhat of a mixed bag. He only finished with a slight winning percentage, going 167-122-6-28, and missed the playoffs three times, having been fired midway through the 2008-09 season. Minus the playoff exits, Laviolette was able to coach the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history during the 2006 NHL Playoffs.

Although his tenure in Carolina was a mixed bag, after joining the Philadelphia Flyers as head coach before the 2009-10 season, Laviolette got off to a quick start. The Flyers made the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals but ultimately lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. The following two seasons, the Flyers would be knocked out in the semi-finals in back-to-back years, but still finished as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

After missing the playoffs entirely during the 2012-13 season, Laviolette was quickly dismissed after only three games into the 2014-15 season, not returning to the NHL for the rest of the year. Before the start of the 2014-15 season, Laviolette was named the new head coach of the Nashville Predators. For the first time since his stay with the Islanders, Laviolette was able to coach the Predators to the playoffs every year spent as head coach (before his firing during the 2019-20 season). The most notable playoff appearance in Nashville came during the 2016-17 season, as the team made the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

In all, Laviolette has coached his team to the playoffs 13 times and missed the playoffs only five times after 18 full seasons of coaching. He has appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals three times, and his only successful one came with the Hurricanes back in 2006. The Rangers will become the fifth team that Laviolette has coached within the NHL’s Metropolitan Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Patrick Roy Resigns From QMJHL’s Québec Remparts

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9:56 a.m. CT: Roy told the media this morning that “absolutely [no]” NHL team has reached out to him yet about a coaching position.

9:35 a.m. CT: NHL head coaching hopeful Patrick Roy announced today he’s leaving his post with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, reports TVA Sports. Roy and his Remparts just won the 2023 Memorial Cup, defeating the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds with a shutout win in the final game.

It’s quite auspicious timing for the announcement, given the sale of the Ottawa Senators to Michael Andlauer was agreed upon in principle this morning. Roy, who’s been connected to Senators coaching vacancies in the past, could be a leading candidate if the team decides to move on from D.J. Smith behind the bench this summer under new ownership.

Roy last coached in the NHL in 2016, serving as the head coach and VP of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche before abruptly quitting during training camp preceding the 2016-17 campaign. He was succeeded by Jared Bednar, who guided the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup in over two decades in 2022.

After taking two years off, Roy returned to the Remparts as GM and head coach in 2018. Before joining the Avalanche, he had been Québec’s coach between 2005 and 2013 and general manager since retiring from the NHL in 2003. He also owned the Remparts from 1997 to 2014.

Roy has a penchant for a defensive style of play as a coach, an area where the Senators have struggled in recent seasons. One would argue, though, with the standout individual defensive performances of players like Artem Zub, that it’s more of a personnel issue than a coaching one. Nevertheless, if he does end up behind the Senators’ bench, improving the team’s defensive systems would be his first priority.

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