NHL Rumors Shootdown: Laviolette Gives Up on Rangers

After another disheartening loss, a 4–0 shutout at the hands of the New Jersey Devils, speculation is running wild that New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette may be checking out. His postgame comments on Saturday fueled the fire, especially when asked about the locker room message: “I don’t have a message right now. I don’t go into the locker room after the game.”

Has Laviolette Given Up on the Rangers Like Tortorella Gave Up on the Flyers?

On the surface, it sounds like a coach who’s lost the room—but this is a much different situation than when John Tortorella was fired by the following. Tortorella said he had no interest in coaching a team like the Flyers, given how they were playing. Laviolette’s comments, while blunt, reflect something that happens a lot in coaching. Not going into the locker room after a loss is not abnormal.

While he’s not addressing the team when they could potentially use positive reinforcement, at worst, this is likely just mounting frustration of a playoff-caliber team failing to live up to expectations rather than an outright resignation.

Elliotte Friedman wrote in his 32 Thoughts column this week:

“Rangers coach Peter Laviolette took some heat after Monday’s loss to Tampa Bay when he said he didn’t have a message for his team right now, because “I don’t go into the locker room after the game.” I can’t give you an exact percentage, but that’s not uncommon among coaches — especially after a loss. I’ve dealt with Laviolette enough over the years to know it’s not what he says, but how he says it (or how he looks when he says it). The look on his face said it all.”

Laviolette Is Likely Done with the Rangers

Pierre LeBrun said during Early Insider Trading: “In talking to other people around the league, the low hanging fruit, the expectation from a lot of people that I have talked to is that Peter Laviolette could get fired.”