Colorado Springs - Feb. 27, 2020: Peter Laviolette (Franklin, Mass.), one of the most accomplished coaches in American hockey history and a two-time Olympian as a player, has been named head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team that will participate in the 2020 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship it was announced today by USA Hockey. The event will take place in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland, from May 8-24.
“It’s great to have Peter as our head coach,” said Chris Drury, general manager of the 2020 U.S. Men’s National Team Team. “He brings significant international experience, both as a player and a coach, and his passion and desire to win align with our goal of bringing home the gold medal.”
Laviolette has previously represented the United States in international competition on numerous occasions in several different capacities. He most recently served as head coach the 2014 U.S. Men’s National Team that won five of its eight games in the 2014 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Minsk, Belarus. Laviolette was also an assistant coach for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in Sochi, Russia, and was the head coach of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in Torino, Italy. Prior to that, Laviolette was head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team at the IIHF Men's World Championship in back-to-back years (2004, 2005), leading the United States to the bronze medal in 2004.
He also served as an assistant coach for the United States during the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he helped lead Team USA to the semifinals.
“Peter is a terrific coach and someone who has had success wherever he’s been,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “We’re thrilled to have him back as head coach of our men’s national team.”
Laviolette has a long resume as a head coach in the NHL, having served in that capacity for four different teams and amassed one Stanley Cup title, 11 playoff appearances and 637 wins in 1,210 regular-season games over 18 seasons. He owns a regular-season winning percentage of .588 (637-425-23-123/w-l-t-otl) and is 75-68 in the NHL playoffs with 14 playoff series wins.
Most recently, Laviolette spent parts of six seasons (2014-20) as head coach of the Nashville Predators where he led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017, five playoff appearances overall, one President’s Trophy (2018) and two Central Division titles (2018, 2019).
Laviolette directed the Philadelphia Flyers for parts of five seasons (2009-14), reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and winning the Atlantic Division in 2011. Prior to that, he was the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes from 2003-09, highlighted by winning both the Stanley Cup and Southeast Division title in 2006. Laviolette also spent two seasons (2001-03) as the bench boss of the New York Islanders, guided the team to playoff berths in both campaigns. In his first season, he led the Islanders to the fourth biggest one-year turnaround in the history of the league.
Before becoming an NHL head coach, Laviolette spent three seasons in the Boston Bruins organization, serving as assistant coach with the NHL club in 2000-01, and as head coach of the Bruins’ American Hockey League affiliate, Providence, for two seasons (1998-99, 1999-2000). In his first year at Providence, Laviolette received the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as AHL Coach of the Year after guiding the Bruins to the biggest turnaround in league history. That season Providence won a league best 56 games in the regular season (after winning just 19 the year before) and also went on to capture its first Calder Cup title.
As a player, Laviolette skated for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in both the 1988 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games, serving as captain during the 1994 tournament. He also spent 11 years in professional hockey, including a 12-game stint with the New York Rangers in 1988-89.
As a collegian, Laviolette played four seasons (1982-86) at Westfield State College in Massachusetts, where he appeared in 93 games and contributed 43 goals and 44 assists.
NOTES: The staff and players of the U.S. Men’s National Team are selected by the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Committee, led by John Vanbiesbrouck, assistant executive director of USA Hockey, and including U.S. Men’s National Team GM Chris Drury and NHL general managers David Poile, Don Waddell, Dale Tallon, Stan Bowman, Jeff Gorton and Bill Guerin … For complete coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team, click here … The official online home of the 2020 IIHF Men’s World Championship is 2020.IIHFWorlds.com … The U.S. is 19-7 over the last three world championships. Team USA won five of eight games a year ago and finished seventh in the tournament. The U.S. has earned three bronze medals in the last seven years, including 2018, 2015 and 2013.
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