Peter Laviolette

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Lore & Background

Laviolette came to the Carolina Hurricanes as head coach in the 2003–04 season, taking over following the firing of Paul Maurice. In his first season, he coached 52 games during a rebuilding year. Laviolette led the Hurricanes to an excellent regular season during his second year at the helm, winning the Southeast Division with 112 points (52–22–8 record). The Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history during the 2006 playoffs, after winning a five-game series over the New Jersey Devils in the second round, a seven-game Eastern Conference Final over the Buffalo Sabres, and a five-game Stanley Cup Final over the Edmonton Oilers. Laviolette was the third American-born coach to win the Stanley Cup. He was also the runner-up for the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's Coach of the Year, which was awarded to Lindy Ruff by a vote of 155–154. After winning their first Stanley Cup, Laviolette's Hurricanes suffered through an injury-plagued 2006–07 season that saw the team finish with a disappointing 40–34–8 record. The next season, the team once again got off to a poor start, but held first place in a weak division for most of the season, despite having a sub-.500 record until February. The team then got hot and built what was seen as a solid lead. However, the Washington Capitals got red hot in the final weeks, Carolina lost several games down the stretch, and Laviolette's group missed the post-season. On December 3, 2008, Laviolette was fired as coach of the Hurricanes and replaced by his predecessor, Paul Maurice.

In Their Own Story

The 2006 playoffs were a defining moment for Laviolette's coaching career. After securing the Southeast Division title with a 52–22–8 record, he guided his team through two very close seven-game series against the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers. This victory made him the fourth American-born coach to win a Stanley Cup. His performance was so impactful that he became the runner-up for the Jack Adams Award for NHL Coach of the Year. In what was described as the closest vote ever recorded for this award, Lindy Ruff edged out Laviolette by a single point, 155–154. However, the triumph was short-lived. The following season crumbled under injuries, finishing 40–34–8. By December 2008, after a poor start and missing the playoffs the previous year despite leading most of the regular season, Laviolette was fired on November 7, 2008 (following his 240th victory), and replaced by his predecessor, Paul Maurice.

Reader's Guide

Laviolette's tenure with the Hurricanes included a Stanley Cup win in 2006, a Southeast Division title in 2005–06, and a playoff miss in 2007–08. He was fired on December 3, 2008.

Did You Know?

• Laviolette was the third American-born coach to win the Stanley Cup.
• The Hurricanes' 2006 Stanley Cup Final series against the Edmonton Oilers lasted five games, not seven.
• The Islanders, not the Hurricanes, had missed the playoffs for seven years before Laviolette's arrival.