Tall Order for Laviolete

QueenCityHillbilly · Aug 17, 2005 at 7:35 PM

Good for him.

USA HOCKEY NAMES LAVIOLETTE HEAD COACH FOR 2006 OLYMPIC TEAM
Dave Fischer, USA Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Peter Laviolette (Franklin, Mass.), currently the head coach of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, was named today by USA Hockey as the head coach of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team.

“We’re really pleased to have Peter guiding our Olympic Team,” said Don Waddell, general manager of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Team in making the announcement. “Peter knows what it takes. He played on our 1988 Olympic team and came back as captain of the 1994 Olympic team. He’s coached our last two World Championship teams. He’s passionate about the game and we’re confident he’ll do an outstanding job as our head coach.”

Said Laviolette, “It’s quite an honor to have the opportunity to coach the U.S. Olympic Team. To be honest, it’s really hard to sum up in words how excited and proud I am to be asked to coach this team. We’ll have one goal when the Olympics roll around in February and that’s to win the gold medal. We have a legitimate chance and that’s a credit to the continued development of hockey in the United States thanks largely to the hard work of all the volunteers in USA Hockey’s grassroots programs that give of their time and talents.”

Laviolette is a familiar face behind the bench for the United States in international play. He directed the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship this past May where the U.S. lost out in the quarterfinal round in a shootout to eventual gold medalist Czech Republic. He also served as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 IIHF World Championship, a finish that secured the U.S. a spot in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

In his other stint as a head coach for a USA Hockey team, Laviolette guided the U.S. Men’s National Select Team to the championship of the 2003 Deutschland Cup in Hannover, Germany. Team USA went 3-0-0 and gained its first title in the tournament in just its second year of participation.

Laviolette was also an assistant coach for Team USA’s entry into the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Laviolette’s full-time job is as head coach of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, a position he was appointed to on Dec. 15, 2003.

He was the head coach of the New York Islanders for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons and led the club to the playoffs both seasons after the team missed the post-season seven straight times between 1994 and 2001. He guided the Islanders’ significant turnaround while posting a 77-68-13-6 regular-season record in 164 games those two seasons, good for a .527 winning percentage.

Prior to joining the Islanders, Laviolette served as an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins after two years of guiding Boston’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. In 1998-99, Laviolette led Providence to a 56-15-4 regular-season record and a 15-4 playoff record that culminated with Providence hoisting the Calder Cup and Laviolette being named AHL Coach of the Year. He began his coaching career in 1997 as head coach of the East Coast Hockey League’s Wheeling Nailers.

A former defenseman, he spent 11 years as a player in the professional ranks and was a member of the 1988 and 1994 U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Teams, serving as captain in 1994.
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Captain · Aug 17, 2005 at 7:48 PM

Karmonos won't be happy to hear his coach's priorities are not with the Hurricanes.

Trojan · Aug 18, 2005 at 11:42 PM

Captain said:

Karmonos won't be happy to hear his coach's priorities are not with the Hurricanes.
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From the Raleigh paper,

"...
The NHL will shut down for more than two weeks from Feb. 13-28 to allow its players to participate, but Laviolette's workload will begin long before that. Though it is a crucial season for the Hurricanes, who desperately need on-ice success to help rebuild the fan base after the lockout and two straight seasons without a playoff appearance, Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said he supported Laviolette's interest in the U.S. job.

"He's a very dedicated person and really has earned and deserves the position as Olympic coach," Rutherford said. "He's been very loyal and dedicated to USA Hockey, the same way as he is with the Hurricanes. I think he can keep his focus on both. Certainly the Olympic break is away from our games, and if there's some areas where he needs a little bit of help, he's got two really good guys working with him here."..."

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Tall Order for Laviolete

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Tall Order for Laviolete

QueenCityHillbilly Bitch, I Will Kill You

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Trojan Banned From TBR

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