Rangers fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette after disastrous season — But is he really to blame?

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 20, 2025, 08:47 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

The New York Rangers fired head coach Peter Laviolette after a stunning fall from Presidents’ Trophy winners to missing the playoffs. While Laviolette takes the blame, the real issues lie in front office decisions and roster instability. General manager Chris Drury’s leadership is under fire as the franchise faces mounting pressure to fix its deeper structural problems.

Rangers fire Head Coach Peter Laviolette after disastrous season — But is he really to blame?

New York Rangers fire Head Coach Laviolette after collapse, front office under scrutiny (Image via: Getty Images)

Key Highlights:

Laviolette fired after playoff miss
Rangers suffer historic post-trophy collapse
Drury's leadership faces growing criticism

In a move that’s more scapegoat than solution, the New York Rangers fired head coach Peter Laviolette on Saturday and with it, tried to wash their hands of one of the most embarrassing collapses in recent franchise history. After a record-setting 2022-23 season, the Rangers didn’t just miss the playoffs in 2024, they imploded. And rather than admit the problem runs deeper than the bench, GM Chris Drury seems content pinning it all on the coaching staff.

Is Laviolette the fall guy for front office failures?

New York Rangers fire head coach Peter Laviolette | Instant Reaction

Let’s call it what it is: the Rangers' issues didn’t start or end with Peter Laviolette. Yes, the team underperformed. Yes, their power play was abysmal. But to act like the man behind the bench is the root of the problem is a convenient narrative that protects the real culprits, the ones in suits, not skates.
Drury’s roster decisions were puzzling all season long. Trading captain Jacob Trouba mid-season raised eyebrows. Shipping off Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil while shuffling in new faces like J.T. Miller and Carson Soucy only added to the instability. And let’s not forget the March deadline moves that felt more like desperation than direction. The chemistry never clicked because the pieces kept changing and that’s not on Laviolette.

Rangers fire Head Coach, but front office missteps fuel deeper crisis

Worse yet, the Rangers are now part of a not-so-proud club, one of only four teams in NHL history to win the Presidents’ Trophy and miss the playoffs the very next season. That’s not just a stumble. That’s a structural failure.
Still, Drury insists his job is safe and that “it starts with me.” But if it truly started with him, he wouldn’t be dodging questions about ownership’s confidence. He wouldn’t be pushing the narrative that a new coach, whether it’s a recycled NHL name or an unproven college upstart, is the magic fix.
Also Read: Penguins duo Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin set rivalry aside, celebrate Alex Ovechkin’s historic goal record with Rolex gift
And where does this leave the locker room? A rotating door of coaches, a confused roster, and now a fanbase expected to trust that the next hire will right the ship. The truth is, the Rangers' problems won’t be solved with a new face behind the bench. Until the front office owns up to its missteps, New York is chasing shadows.
The Rangers didn’t just fire Laviolette. They lit the fuse on a bigger crisis.

Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don't miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article