Peter Laviolette ’86 Named Head Coach of NHL's Washington Capitals

Peter Laviolette ’86 Named Head Coach of NHL's Washington Capitals

Westfield State University hockey alumnus and Owls' Hall of Famer Peter Laviolette ’86 was named head coach of the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals, the team announced on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020.

Laviolette will be making his fifth NHL head coaching stop. He led the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006, and coached both the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators to the Cup Finals in his tenure.   Laviolette has 18 years behind the bench in the NHL since his first NHL head coaching with the New York Islanders in 2001.

The Capitals' announcement is available here

Laviolette was inducted into the Westfield State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.  More here.