Every current NHL franchise’s most beloved head coach
Nashville Predators: Peter Laviolette
Until recently, the Nashville Predators had been a team that had benn deeply deprived of any success. But now times have never looked brighter for the Predators, and you can thank Peter Laviolette for that.
Laviolette was hired in 2014 as the second head coach in Nashville Predators history after Barry Trotz was let go after 15 seasons with the team when he failed to advance the team past the second round of the playoffs. After failing to qualify for the playoffs for the previous two seasons, the Predators qualified in their first year under Laviolette, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.
The next season, the Predators qualified for the postseason again, and this time upset the Anaheim Ducks in the first round in a remarkable seven-game battle. Unfortunately, they lost a heartbreaker to the San Jose Sharks in Round 2. As much as losing in back-to-back years hurt, it was clear that Laviolette would eventually take them to the conference finals, and take them he did.
in 2017, the Predators finished in the second wild-card spot to qualify for the playoffs for a matchup with Stanley Cup-favorite Chicago Blackhawks. When they were expected to be crushed, Nashville swept their old foes in a shocking upset, then ran through the St. Louis Blues to finally advance to the Conference Finals and take down the Anaheim Ducks to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final.
Even though Nashville would drop the Final to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games, Nashville responded the next season with its first Presidents’ Trophy and first Central Division title with 117 points. Nashville took down the Avalanche in six games and is currently in a battle with the Winnipeg Jets in Round 2.