By Lewis Gould
ESPN is reporting that Peter Laviolette has agreed to become the new coach of the Capitals in a three-year deal.
Laviolette, 55, has 18 years of experience as a head coach and ranks 16th in all-time wins with a career record of 637-425-123.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 and most recently coached the Predators, but was fired in January after five and a half seasons with the team. Laviolette also led the 2010 Flyers and 2017 Predators to the Stanley Cup Final.
Laviolette is still under contract with the Predators for next season making $2.5 million, though the Capitals are expected to cover that salary as part of the deal.
He replaces Todd Reirden, who was fired three days after Washington was eliminated from the playoffs this summer. The Capitals hired Reirden, one of their top assistants, shortly after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018 after getting into a contract dispute with coach Barry Trotz. However the Capitals were knocked out in the first round in Reirden’s first two seasons, including a five-game loss to Trotz’s Islanders this summer.
Reirden has since been hired as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh.
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