What Peter Laviolette’s wife asked him to do at Rangers press conference
Peter Laviolette’s wife had one message for him before he was formally introduced as the new Rangers head coach on Tuesday.
“My wife told me when I get up here, she said to make sure that you smile. I said I’m not a very good smiler,” said Laviolette, who was hired on June 13. “I said I’ll make sure I smile, so…”
The 37th bench boss in franchise history proceeded to flash a quick grin, earning himself some laughs from the gathered media at the Rangers practice facility in Tarrytown.
Laviolette is replacing Gerard Gallant after the coach parted ways with the team following a disappointing first-round playoff defeat to the Devils.
Laviolette, 58, led with levity before getting down to business in the press conference.
The new head coach is now at the helm of his fifth Metropolitan Division squad — and one he briefly played for.
Laviolette appeared in 12 games for the Rangers during the 1988-89 season, sporting No. 39.
He joked that his family couldn’t find a Laviolette No. 39 Rangers jersey on Ebay due to “high-demand.”
Team president and general manager Chris Drury presented Laviolette with a new No. 39 jersey after the opening statements, marking a new era for Laviolette with the Blueshirts.
Laviolette’s personable nature was on display, but he did not mince words when talking about his plan for the Rangers’ future.
With 752 NHL wins under his belt –– eighth all-time in NHL coaching wins –– Laviolette emphasized the need for high work ethic and compete level from every guy on the roster.
Laviolette got fans smiling themselves when he also mentioned developing the kids, forming a team identity and not being afraid to make in-game adjustments.
“Let’s go to work. Let’s get working,” Laviolette said. “I think we have really good pieces in place. But to me, it’s about that work ethic that drives teams.”
