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Rangers head coaching candidates: 8 names to watch with Peter Laviolette fired
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- Rangers head coaching candidates: 8 names to watch with Peter Laviolette fired
Within moments of Peter Laviolette's firing on Saturday − and maybe even sooner, for some − New York Rangers fans' thoughts began drifting to who comes next.
It's a bit callous, but it's also the nature of professional sports.
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The reality is that the Rangers need a new head coach, with team president Chris Drury embarking on his third hiring process in four years.
Laviolette only lasted two years, as did his predecessor, Gerard Gallant, and now it's onto the next one.
Early indications from people who spoke to lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, on the condition of anonymity, are that Drury once again will prioritize experience in his search — although he said during Saturday's Zoom call with reporters that "my eyes are wide open," adding that he isn't opposed to hiring a first-timer.
Despite a wholly disappointing season in which New York missed the playoffs for the first time in four years, no one in the organization is looking at this as a rebuild situation. The team's veteran core of J.T. Miller , Artemi Panarin , Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad will all be 32 or older next season, while star goalie Igor Shesterkin is in his prime with his 30th birthday approaching in December.
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The goal is to retool and get right back to contending, even though a regressing roster and limited salary cap space will add layers of difficulty to the task.
To that end, Drury is expected to aim high with his top coaching choice, but there is no obvious fallback plan. A few outside-of-the-box candidates should make the lengthy list of interviews, but it will mostly be made up of retreads who have bounced around with varying levels of success.
Based on my early conversations, here are eight candidates to keep an eye on:
David Carle
The two-time NCAA champion coach at the University of Denver would certainly bring a fresh approach. He's only 35 and considered by many to be the most intriguing young coach in the college ranks. And while I've heard the Rangers are likely to make a call and gauge his interest, there are serious doubts about whether it will go anywhere.
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Carle, who's among the hottest commodities on the market, is in a position of bargaining power and may stay in school until the ideal NHL opportunity arises. Multiple teams are expected to try this summer, but the dysfunction that has gone on at Madison Square Garden and under Drury is a drawback some believe will work against the Rangers.
Jay Leach
The 45-year-old received an interview on the previous go-around, so there's already a known level of interest. He's one of the few on this list with no NHL head coaching experience, having only served in that role in the American Hockey League before working as an NHL assistant the past four seasons in Seattle and then Boston .
Will the Rangers take a leap of faith on a first-timer in this cycle? Many have doubts, but Leach would likely be in the mix if some of the more established candidates don't work out.
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Michael Peca
Another assistant expected to get an interview is the 51-year-old who got his first taste on an NHL bench while serving on Laviolette's staff the past two seasons. Before that, the extent of Peca's coaching experience was in the Ontario Junior Hockey League before shifting to the NHL as a player development coach for the Washington Capitals in 2021. He also spent a couple seasons as an assistant in the AHL, but it would represent a big leap to take over as the leading man in a pressure-packed New York environment.
Maybe that's just the kind of chance the Rangers should be taking, with the two-time Selke Trophy winner embodying the hard-nosed style Drury wants to move toward and already holding the respect of current players. But two people indicated that both Peca and fellow assistant Dan Muse, who's also expected to be interviewed in some capacity, are more viable in supporting roles than as the head coach.
Joel Quenneville
I know, I know. Would Drury really go down this road given the controversy that's already swarming the organization? My hunch is no, but Quenneville is a name that continues to come up when I ask around. That doesn't necessarily mean the Rangers would do it, but multiple people indicated that the 66-year-old badly wants an opportunity and views New York as a coveted landing spot.
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The three-time champion coach would certainly bring some shock value to a locker room that some believe could use it, but he would also come with the baggage of what the NHL deemed "an inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Chicago Blackhawks player Kyle Beach had been assaulted by the team's video coach." Still, the league reinstated him last summer, clearing the way for a potential return to the bench.
Mike Sullivan
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan address the media after the game against the New York Rangers at PPG Paints Arena.
By pretty much all accounts, the 57-year-old is Drury's No. 1 choice, with their connection through USA Hockey deepening that affection. The problem is, the two-time Stanley Cup winner is under contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins for two more seasons.
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Sullivan addressed his situation Friday, telling reporters that he intends to coach the Penguins next season. But if there's any sliver of an opening, expect the Rangers to go full bore in their efforts to pry him away.
Rick Tocchet
Like Sullivan, Tocchet is currently tied to another team and may very well stay there. But the key difference in his situation is that the 61-year-old's contract with the Canucks just expired.
A difficult season in Vancouver has some wondering if the two sides will decide it's best to move in different directions, in which case Tocchet could certainly land on the Rangers' radar. He was one of the finalists before they hired Gallant in 2021, so we know there's at least some level of admiration there. But his relationship with Miller could be a determining factor. Word is they clicked for a while with the Canucks, which led to a strong season for the team and player in 2023-24, but things soured in the drama-filled lead up to Miller being traded to New York.
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John Tortorella
Feb 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella reacts on the bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena.
Would the Rangers really go for round two with Torts? I've been told not to rule out the possibility.
The odds still feel somewhat long, but multiple people believe he could work his way into the mix if Sullivan (and to a lesser degree Tocchet) isn't available. It absolutely sounds like the 66-year-old wants to continue coaching, with belief that he'd be excited by the chance to come back to New York.
How would Drury feel about a reunion? That's less clear. Tortorella would demand more tenacity out of a group that has been lacking in that department, but his abrasive tactics could easily backfire.
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Jay Woodcroft
The 48-year-old is more of an under-the-radar candidate, but he'd check the experience box after manning the Edmonton bench for two-plus seasons. It went fairly well for a while, with the Oilers compiling a 79-41-13 record and winning a few playoff series. But a slow start last season led to an abrupt firing, with Edmonton turning to former Rangers AHL coach Kris Knoblauch before going on a run to Game 7 of the Cup Final .
Woodcroft is putting himself out there lately, hoping for another opportunity. And while he'd probably begin pretty far down on the Rangers' list, a couple people brought him up as a possible interview.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano .
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Rangers coach candidates with Peter Laviolette fired
