The Nashville Predators fired head coach Peter Laviolette after five-plus seasons behind the bench, the team announced Monday.
FILE PHOTO: Jan 1, 2020; Dallas, TX, USA; Nashville Predators head coach Peter Laviolette during the second period in the 2020 Winter Classic hockey game against the Dallas Stars at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Associate coach Kevin McCarthy was also dismissed by the Predators, who sport a 19-15-7 record this season and reside in sixth place in the Central Division.
Nashville did not immediately announce an interim coach ahead of Tuesday’s home game against the Boston Bruins.
“Under the leadership of Peter and Kevin, our organization reached unprecedented heights — from our franchise-altering run to the Stanley Cup Final to a Presidents’ Trophy and our first two Central Division titles,” Predators general manager David Poile said.
“Their passion for the game, ability to motivate a team and drive to be the best makes this a difficult decision. On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Peter and Kevin for all their contributions to the Nashville Predators over the past five-and-a-half seasons.”
Laviolette guided the Predators to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016-17, where the team lost in six games to Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Laviolette, 55, also guided the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006 and took the Philadelphia Flyers to the Cup Final four years later. The Flyers lost in six games to Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks.
“On and off the ice, the Laviolette and McCarthy families have left an indelible mark on the entire Smashville community,” Predators President and CEO Sean Henry said. “While Peter and Kevin worked to make our team on the ice one of the elite, their wives, Kristen and Rhonda, spearheaded countless charitable endeavors to Nashville that made a lasting impact, changed lives, and for which we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Laviolette, who was a finalist for the 2015 Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach, guided Nashville to a Presidents’ Trophy and the Central Division title in 2017-18. The Predators repeated as division winners the following season.
—Field Level Media