Rangers hiring ex-Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette - ESPN

The New York Rangers are hiring Peter Laviolette as their next head coach, the team announced on Tuesday. He agreed to a three-year deal with the team, sources told ESPN.

Laviolette, 58, has coached 21 years in the NHL and was most recently with the Rangers division rival Washington Capitals last season. The Capitals did not renew Laviolette's contract after they missed the playoffs.

The Rangers will be the fifth team Laviolette will have coached in the division; he also had stints with the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers.

With 752 career victories, Laviolette is the eighth-winningest coach in NHL history. He also has the most wins of any American-born coach.

«We are thrilled that Peter will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers,» the team said in a statement. «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.»

The Rangers parted with Gerard Gallant after a first-round loss to the New Jersey Devils in May. Gallant had led the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022. Gallant was under contract through the 2024-25 season.

The Rangers cast a broad net in their search, but honed in on a veteran coach because the organization believes it can win a championship as soon as next year, sources told ESPN.

Among the up-and-coming coaches the Rangers talked to were Spencer Carbery (who was hired by the Capitals) and Jay Leach, an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken.

The Rangers let go of most of their assistant coaching staff — keeping on longtime goalie coach Benoit Allaire — so Laviolette and GM