Mike Peca to join Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff on Rangers

Mike Peca will become a member of Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff on the New York Rangers, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek has learned.

Peca served as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League for the past two seasons.

The 49-year-old from Toronto played 14 seasons in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. He recorded 465 points (176 goals and 289 assists) in 864 career regular season games and was the captain of the Sabres when they reached the Stanley Cup Final during the 1998-99 season.

Peca also earned a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Laviolette was hired by the Rangers on June 13. He started his head coaching career in the NHL with the Islanders in 2001, coincidentally, the same season the team acquired Peca from the Sabres. Peca then became the captain of the Islanders during Laviolette’s tenure.

The 58-year-old Laviolette has won 752 games, the most for an American-born head coach, and helped guide the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup in 2006. He led the Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and the Nashville Predators (2017) to the Stanley Cup Final as well.

Laviolette most recently coached the Washington Capitals until the two sides agreed to mutually part ways in April after the team missed the playoffs.

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