The new head coach of Washington will be Peter Laviolette. The fact that this particular specialist is the favorite for the position of coach Alexander Ovechkin, they started talking almost immediately after the departure of the “capital” from the Stanley Cup. Now the coach has signed a contract for three seasons with an annual salary of $ 4 million. So who will coach one of the most popular NHL teams in Russia?
Won the Stanley Cup and reached the final twice
The main thing to keep in mind about the new head coach of Washington: he knows how to win and knows how to do it on a tight schedule. Laviolett took his only Stanley Cup in his first full season at Carolina. With Sergei Tverdovsky and Anton Babchuk in the “hurricanes” they sorted out in the final with “Edmonton”. Philadelphia, which Peter took over in December 2009, made it to the final six months later. With “Nashville” the story turned out a little differently: the final with “Pittsburgh” came in the third year of Laviolette’s work with the “predators”. Nevertheless, it is perhaps the ideal option for Washington if the US capital wants to squeeze the last juice out of its rapidly aging roster. In the next year or two, Ovechkin & Co. will be quite capable of taking the second Stanley Cup.
Should have taken the US team to the World Cup in Switzerland
Peter Laviolette has been the head coach of NHL teams since the turn of the century, but his experience is not limited to the No. 1 League. He also had international tournaments in his career. As an assistant, he traveled to the World Cup and the Olympics, and as a head coach he drove the US team to two world championships: 2004 and 2014. The first run turned into bronze medals, but in Minsk the Americans under Lavioletta were in for a failure. The new Washington head coach watched the triumph of Alexander Ovechkin and the Russian national team as a spectator. The third World Cup was supposed to be in Peter’s career, but he was prevented from taking his national team to Switzerland by the coronavirus pandemic.
I did not drive into the framework of Samsonov
One of the few Russians who remained delighted with working with Laviolet was Sergei Samsonov. Together they had a chance to work less than a season. Samsonov fell into the hands of an American coach at the age of about 30 with a bunch of injuries and had already crossed the peak of his career. If, before moving to Carolina, Sergei often changed teams and was even subjected to links to the AHL, then in the hurricanes he spent his last season at a near-top level.
– For me, as a striker, as a player who could create something in attack, it was most comfortable to work with Laviolette. He allowed creativity. He even insisted. And I didn’t drive me into narrow frames in which I could not do something. If you look at all his teams, they have played and are playing dynamic hockey. It’s good that after “Montreal” and “Chicago” I got to him, – Samsonov admitted in an interview with Sport-Express.
Couldn’t revive Zherdev
In the 2010/2011 season, Lavioletta had a chance to work with one of the most talented, but equally problematic forwards in Russian hockey. Nikolay Zherdev came to Philadelphia to revive his overseas career. The season in Mytishchi was not perfect, for Nikolai there was already a train of scandals, but the reputation of a great master had not yet been completely destroyed.
– Zherdev is very gifted, he has the highest level of skill, so everyone likes to watch him in the game. I remember him in the Rangers, he was their best sniper. Any coach wants to have such a talented and young player on his team, – Looking forward to working with Zherdev, the Philadelphia mentor exuded optimism.
The raptures did not last long. Back in December, Laviolette praised Zherdev and played alongside the Flyers’ leading center forward, Jeff Carter, and in February the Russian striker was put on a bounce draft. Nicholas was not picked up by any club and he was forced to stay at Philadelphia. Needless to say, the relationship between coach and player was no longer the same? After finishing the season for the “pilots”, Zherdev left the NHL and never appeared there.
Bobrovsky made his debut in the NHL under him
Sergei Bobrovsky won both Vezins as a Columbus player. I got really big money from Florida. But today few people remember that one of the strongest goalkeepers in the world made his debut in the NHL in Philadelphia, Lavioletta. The American was not afraid to make the unknown goalkeeper from Novokuznetsk the first number of his team. Laviolette immediately gave Bobrovsky fifty matches in the regular season and never sent him to the farm club. Sergei is still the only top keeper from Russia who managed to avoid being exiled to the AHL. Largely thanks to the trust that the Flyers head coach showed him.
I almost got into a fight with Markov
Not to say that Laviolette has a reputation for being a tyrant in the NHL, but he certainly isn’t a plush coach like Todd Rearden. Everyone in North America knows that Peter has a tough temper. He once nearly got into a fight in a Penselvanian derby with Pittsburgh colleague Dan Bilesma. Lavioletta also had a conflict with one of the Russian hockey players.
– This is the only coach with whom I almost had a fight in front of everyone, first on the bench, and then in the locker room. We had a significant conflict. I will never forget this coach. Then Lavioletta was saved by honored veterans. For example, Ron Francis, now the general manager of Carolina, and also Glen Wesley. They asked me, I respected them. The next day I was changed to Philadelphia, which I was very pleased with, – Daniil Markov told “Soviet Sport”.
Squeezed Emelin out of the NHL
With Alexei Emelin, Laviolett did not get into a fight, but the fact remains: the American did not particularly appreciate the Russian defender. A season in Nashville put the master of strength techniques an end to his overseas career. The head coach of the Predators definitely had a hand in this.
– Initially, they took me to play with Subban while Ellis was injured. After half of the season, when he recovered, I was moved to the third pair. In the third, as a rule, they play little, it’s hard to show good hockey, – shared Emelin.
What kind of hockey do Lavioletta teams play?
The style of the new head coach of Washington cannot be called bright, spectacular and sharply attacking. But if you remember with what coach the “capitals” took the Stanley Cup, then you understand: this is not the main thing. Barry Trotz is even a more systematic coach than Laviolette, but Ovechkin and Kuznetsov managed to show their best game under his leadership. Athletic hockey with organized defense awaits with the new head coach.
– The emphasis is on performance and fitness. Nashville and Pittsburgh generally play different hockey. Here, the “penguins” have more skill, quality solutions. Well, the “predators” simplify everything. It’s not bad, everyone has their own style. But there is no special improvisation there. Goals come after pressure, finishing moves. Here we played in the last round with Anaheim and scored their goalkeeper. In the end he broke down, poor fellow, and the Ducks lost. Maybe someone likes this kind of hockey. But not for me – Daniil Markov shared his impressions of his memories.
– .
