Predators Name Laviolette Head Coach

The Nashville Predators have named Peter Laviolette as the second Head Coach in franchise history. Laviolette is currently in Belarus coaching the U.S. squad in the Worlds.

Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has hired 2006 Stanley Cup-winning coach Peter Laviolette as the second head coach in team history and signed him to a multi-year contract. Also joining the coaching staff is Kevin McCarthy, who will serve as an assistant alongside Lane Lambert and Phil Housley.

 

“Having reached the peak as a Stanley Cup Champion, Peter knows the intensity and urgency it will take to help our team reach its ultimate goal,” Poile said. “He is a great hockey mind who not only has a winning resume, but has done it with an aggressive offensive philosophy while also excelling in helping young players reach their potential. We look forward to Peter instilling his culture in Nashville immediately following his duties coaching the United States at the 2014 World Championship.”

 

“I love the nucleus of this team, starting on the back end with two of the best players at their positions in defenseman Shea Weber and goaltender Pekka Rinne, in addition to a solid group of dependable veterans and talented, rising young talent,” Laviolette said. “My challenge will be to impart a system that enables our young forwards to thrive and reach their offensive potential. Being a perennial Stanley Cup contender requires buy-in, passion and commitment from every player on the roster. I can’t wait to get to Nashville and get started on our journey.”

 

In parts of 12 seasons with the New York Islanders (2001-03), Carolina Hurricanes (2003-09) and Philadelphia Flyers (2009-14), Laviolette has compiled a career coaching record of 389-282-(25)-63 (866 points), and each of the three teams improved exponentially in the first full season after he took the helm: the Islanders finished with 96 points and the eighth-best record in the League in 2001-02 after finishing 30th with 52 points the season prior; the Hurricanes went from 23rd in the NHL with 76 points to fourth with 112 points in 2005-06; and the Flyers improved from 88 points and 18th in the NHL to 106 points and fourth in 2010-11. Laviolette won 52 games in his first full season with Carolina in 2005-06 – earning him runner-up Jack Adams Award honors in the closest vote in award history – recorded back-to-back 47-win seasons with Philadelphia in 2010-11 and 2011-12, and hit the 40-win mark on three other occasions (2001-02, 2006-07 and 2007-08).

 

Including his Stanley Cup win in 2006 with Carolina, Laviolette has made six postseason appearances, posting a series record of 9-5. He led the Islanders to back-to-back Stanley Cup Playoff appearances in 2002 and 2003, ending a seven-year postseason absence for the franchise, and advanced beyond the opening round three times with the Flyers, including the 2009-10 campaign, when he took over midseason and proceeded to lead the team to Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final.

 

Laviolette’s offensive-minded philosophy is evidenced by his teams’ goals for rankings through the years – six times in eight full seasons his teams have finished in the Top 10 in the category, with three of those being top-three results. When coaching a team for a full season, Laviolette’s squad has never finished lower than 13th in goals for. That doesn’t include his two midseason takeovers where the Hurricanes improved their goals for average from 1.87 to 2.23 when he moved behind the bench in 2003-04, and when the Flyers finished eighth in goals for in 2009-10.

 

Multiple young, developing players – who have gone on to become dependable NHL players and in some cases superstars – were cultivated under Laviolette’s watch. Most recently in Philadelphia, Claude Giroux played his first full season under Laviolette in 2009-10, and has become one of the NHL's elite offensive producers, posting 93 points and finishing fourth in Hart Trophy voting in 2011-12; James Van Riemsdyk played his first NHL games under Laviolette in 2009-10, then hit the 21-goal mark as a 21-year-old in his sophomore season in 2010-11; Jakub Voracek improved his point-per-game average from .58 with Columbus to .75 with Philadelphia after a trade in the summer of 2011; Wayne Simmonds doubled his goal total from 14 in 2010-11 with Los Angeles to 28 in his first season with Laviolette's Flyers in 2011-12; and Matt Read posted 24 goals as a rookie in the same season. Former Predator Scott Hartnell also hit career highs in goals (37) and points (67) in 2011-12, being named to his only All-Star Game.

 

In Carolina, Eric Staal played his first four-plus seasons under Laviolette, notching a career-high 45 goals and 100 points to finish fourth in Hart Trophy voting during the Cup-winning campaign; Justin Williams, a two-time Stanley Cup winner, posted his top two point totals and only two 30-goal seasons under Laviolette in 2005-06 and 2006-07. Current Predator Matt Cullen also posted his two best point totals of his 1,150-game NHL career under Laviolette, notching 49 points in both 2005-06 and 2007-08. Finally with the Islanders in 2001-02, a 24-year-old Mark Parrish hit the 30-goal mark for the only time in his career.

 

Second in wins among U.S.-born NHL coaches and now one of just nine men employed as an NHL head coach to have won a Stanley Cup, Laviolette is currently serving as head coach of the United States’ entry at the 2014 World Championships in Minsk, Belarus, his third time in the role (2004, bronze medal and 2005). He has also represented his country in four Olympic Games, first as a player in the 1988 Calgary Games and the 1994 Lillehammer Games, then as a head coach at the 2006 Torino Games, and as an assistant at February’s 2014 Sochi Games.

 

After amassing 268 points (78g-190a) in 594 minor-league games in the American and International hockey leagues (Indianapolis, Colorado, Denver, Flint, Binghamton, Providence and San Diego) from 1986-97, and appearing in 12 games for the New York Rangers in 1988-89, Laviolette began his coaching career with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers in 1997. After posting a 37-24-9 record and reaching the conference finals in his rookie coaching season, he was hired as head coach of the AHL’s Providence Bruins, and led the team to an AHL-best 56-16-4-4 record and a Calder Cup in 1998-99, just one season after the team had gone 19-49-7-5 and finished last in the league. Following the 1999-2000 season, the 1999 AHL Coach of the Year was promoted to assistant coach of the parent Boston Bruins, which he held for a single campaign (2000-01) before starting his NHL head coaching career with the Islanders in 2001-02.

 

A native of Franklin, Mass., and graduate of Westfield State College, Laviolette and his wife, Kristen, have three children – sons Peter and Jack, and daughter Elisabeth.

 

McCarthy brings more than 25 years of front office and coaching experience to the organization. Prior to five seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2009-14, the Winnipeg, Manitoba native spent 16 seasons in the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes organization from 1992-2009, including its Stanley Cup-winning campaign in 2005-06. After three seasons as an assistant for the Whalers (1992-95), McCarthy served as head coach for the franchise’s AHL affiliates in Springfield (1995-97) and New Haven (1997-99), compiling a 156-123-36 record. He rejoined the parent team for the 1999-2000 season, and spent the next nine years as a Hurricanes assistant. McCarthy’s coaching career started as a player-assistant coach for the AHL’s Hershey Bears (1987-88), before a full-time move behind the bench as an assistant in 1988-89 and head coach in 1989-90. McCarthy also had front office experience as the Flyers Director of Professional Scouting from 1990-92. The former defenseman spent 10 seasons in the NHL with the Flyers, Vancouver and Pittsburgh from 1977-87, posting 258 points (67g-191a) in 527 career games. During his time with Vancouver, he served as the Canucks’ team captain and was named a starter in the 1981 NHL All-Star Game.

 

 

 

Quick analysis:

 

This is a comfortable hire for David Poile, given his familiarity in working with Laviolette with Team USA. Laviolette has shown that he can coach successfully and has an offensive mind that has resulted in his teams scoring in bunches. That is something the Predators desperately need. it remains to be seen how Laviolette will treat players that go into long scoring droughts, something the Predators have contended with their forwards throughout their history. His predecessor, Barry Trotz, was known as a players coach, and Laviolette will bring a bit more edge and a different coaching style than Trotz. It will be interesting to to see how the team reacts to this new voice.

 

McCarthy is a good add, with a wealth of experience as a player and a coach at the AHL level. Hopefully, he can develop some of the younger players on the roster. McCarthy was a Stanley Cup winning defenseman with the Carolina Hurricanes, and it will be interesting to see how he and Phil Housley work with the defense and their division of duties.

 

The Predators also retained Lane Lambert, so they will enter the season with 4 coaches behind the bench. Again, it is going to be interesting to see how their duties are assigned for the upcoming season.

 

 

 

 

Predators Hire Muller to Coach AHL Affiliate

The Nashville Predators today announced the hiring of Kirk Muller to be the Head Coach of the AHL Milwaukee Admirals, the primary development affiliate of the team. Muller replaces Lane Lambert, the Admirals former Head Coach who was promoted to be an assistant coach with the Predators.

Here is the press release from the Predators:

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that Kirk Muller has been named the head coach of the team’s primary developmental affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals.

“Kirk Muller was everything we were looking for in our development coach,” Poile said. “With his playing pedigree, experience as a captain and Stanley Cup winner, and his solid communication skills, we feel our young players and prospects are in great hands.”

Muller, 45 (2/8/66), has spent the past five seasons as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens, helping them reach the playoffs in each of the past four campaigns, and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010. Known as an excellent communicator, motivator and an outstanding strategist, the Kingston, Ont., native is credited for transforming a Habs penalty killing unit that has finished in the top half of the League each season since his arrival, including a seventh-place ranking in 2010-11. The Canadiens did not give up a power-play goal in their seven 2011 postseason contests, going 21-for-21. During his second season behind the Montreal bench in 2007-08, the club posted its best record since the 1988-89 club the advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, going and Eastern Conference best 47-25-10 (105 points).

Prior to joining the Montreal staff on June 20, 2006, Muller spent one season as head coach of the Queen's University Golden Gaels (Canadian University) in his hometown of Kingston. He also served as an assistant coach on Canada’s entries at the 2005 Lotto Cup Tournament, winning a gold medal, and the 2006 Under-18 World Championships.
Selected second overall by New Jersey in the 1984 Entry Draft, Muller retired after an illustrious 19-season career in 2003 (N.J., MTL, NYI, TOR, FLA, DAL) which saw him post 959 points (357g-602a) in 1,349 regular-season games (42nd all-time) and 69 points (33g-36a) in 127 playoff games. The nine-time 20-goal scorer and five-time 30-goal man played in six NHL All-Star Games (1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993), with his best season coming in 1992-93, when the left winger tied a career-high with 94 points (37g-57a) and pitched in 17 (10g-7a) more during the Canadiens run to the 1993 Stanley Cup. He also represented Canada at four World Championships (1985, 1986, 1987, 1989) and in the 1984 Olympics

Muller will join the Predators coaching staff at the team's development camp this week in Nashville.

Muller is a coach that will bring a wealth of experience to the Admirals, and should be instrumental in helping with the development of the young forwards in Milwaukee. The Predators have a patient system, meaning they give a player time to develop physically and to develop their on ice game. Muller's experience and success in the NHL will hasten the development of some of these younger players.

It is well known that Muller wants to be a head coach in the NHL, and that this will probably not be a long term stop for him. It will be good experience for Muller and it will be good for his charges in Milwaukee. I expect to see both the players and the organization benefit from this hire.

How has the hockey community reacted to the hiring of Muller by the Predators organization? Here are some comments from the TSN.ca website:

 Muller will make an excellent coach so I hope he doesn't get back into the Habs organization..lol. He was such a great and respected player for many years and I'm sure his teams will respond very well to his coaching and wish him great success. Go Bruins

That's the 2nd A-coach that the Habs have lost that would have been an upgrade at head coach. Kirk will have his own NHL team soon. This stop just gives him a chance to prove that he can mold the young talent

Congratulations Captain Kirk, you definintely deserve to be top dog on a hockey bench.... but it should have been in the big leagues not the AHL. Muller was the architect of the Habs special teams which for much of the past few years have been the best in the league despite losing their pp quarterback every year (souray, markov to injury etc). Mark my words, Muller will be coaching in the NHL by the end of this contract as this guy is way too good to be in the AHL for long. Good luck Kirk and hopefully the Habs leadership will be smart enough this time to bring in one of their own when it's time to replace JM (soon I hope!!!!)

Muller was very well thought of inside the Canadiens organization, and his loss behind the bench will be felt by the Habs. This is his proving ground before attempting to step into the role of an NHL bench boss, and I believe that it will be a good run for him.

That will be good for Muller, his players, and the Predators organization.

Lambert Named Assistant Coach; Mitch Korn Re-signed

Lane Lambert will step behind the Nashville Predators bench next season, taking the place of Associate Coach Brent Peterson. Peterson will be moving to an administrative role with the Predators front office as the advance of his Parkinson's disease has limited his ability to coach.

Here is the press release from the Predators organization:


Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that Lane Lambert, formerly the head coach of the team’s primary developmental affiliate, the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals, will join the Nashville coaching staff as an assistant for the 2011-12 season. Poile also announced the re-signing of goaltending coach Mitch Korn.

“Lane is one of the best young up-and-coming coaches in the sport today,” Poile said. “Similar to our philosophy on player development, we believe in promoting from within whenever possible. Lane has successfully coached and mentored more than half the players on our current roster, and many more who are coming through the pipeline, so he will fit seamlessly into Barry Trotz’s staff.”

In four seasons as the Admirals head coach from 2007-11, Lambert led the club to a 178-118-37 record, the sixth-most wins in the AHL in that span while giving up the second-fewest goals (821). Milwaukee posted 40-or-more wins and 90-or-more points all four seasons under Lambert as well, making them the first team in League history to reach the marks in eight consecutive campaigns. The Melfort, Saskatchewan native helped the Ads capture a pair of West Division titles in his tenure in Milwaukee, posting the Western Conference’s highest point total in 2010-11 (102 pts, 44-22-14 record) despite seeing 10 of his core players recalled to the Predators during the campaign. He also captured a division title in 2008-09 when he led a young squad to 49-22-9 record, tying for the most points (107) in the AHL. The win total tied a club record since the team joined the AHL for the 2001-02 campaign.

Eleven members of Nashville’s 2011 playoff roster played for Lambert in Milwaukee, and 17 of the 33 players who suited up for the Predators for at least one 2010-11 regular season game spent time playing under his tutelage.

Prior to joining the Admirals as an assistant coach in 2006-07, Lambert spent one season as an assistant for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and three seasons as a coach in the Western Hockey League – two as head coach of the Prince George Cougars (2003-05) and one as an assistant for the Moose Jaw Warriors (2002-03). Lambert finished an 18-year playing career with the Houston Aeros in 2000-01.

Korn, who joined the organization on July 23, 1998, has worked with the Predators’ goaltenders and those in the Nashville developmental system for the last 13 years. The well-known goaltending coach has helped several Nashville goaltenders burst onto the NHL scene, the most recent being 2011 Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne, who ranked second in save percentage (.930) and third in goals-against average (2.12) this past season. His success cultivating netminders dates back to the 1998 Expansion Draft. Two-time Czech Olympian, 2010 World Champion and NHL All-Star Tomas Vokoun developed into one of the NHL’s elite netminders under Korn’s watch, while Chris Mason would follow, becoming a legitimate NHL starter after several seasons of working with Korn. In 2007-08, Dan Ellis developed into a No. 1 goalie after playing in just one NHL game prior to joining the Predators, leading the NHL in save percentage (.924) in his first full campaign, before giving way to rookie Rinne in 2008-09.
“Mitch Korn is the best goaltending coach in the National Hockey League, as evidenced by his development of this organization’s goaltenders from Year One with Mike Dunham and Tomas Vokoun, to this past season with Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne and promising rookie Anders Lindback,” Poile said. “Our goaltending is a big part of our success, and Mitch is at the forefront of that.”

Prior to joining the Predators on July 23, 1998, Korn spent seven seasons coaching the netminders in the Buffalo Sabres organization, where he enjoyed great success while working with two-time Hart Trophy-winner Dominik Hasek. While working with Korn, Hasek captured four Vezina Trophies and led the NHL with the best save percentage five times. Korn also saw Buffalo’s goaltending tandem (Hasek and Hall-of-Famer Grant Fuhr) capture the NHL’s Jennings Trophy (lowest team goals-against average) during the 1994-95 season. Besides Hasek and Fuhr, Korn also coached Olaf Kolzig, Steve Shields and Martin Biron.

Korn, who runs goaltending and defensemen schools around the country in the off-season, also contributes regularly to several hockey publications including USA Hockey Magazine and Goalies’ World.