Capitals part with Laviolette after 3 seasons

The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette mutually agreed to part ways, the team announced Friday.

Laviolette's contract is set to expire June 30. He coached Washington for the last three seasons, missing the playoffs in 2022-23.

"We are grateful for Peter's leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons," General manager Brian MacLellan. "Peter is a first-class individual who has represented our club with integrity and guided our team through many difficult circumstances in his tenure as our head coach. We wish him all the best moving forward."

Laviolette's tenure in D.C. ends with zero playoffs series wins. He guided the Capitals to the postseason in his first two seasons at the helm, but lost in Round 1 each time. Things fell apart in 2022-23 as the club suffered a multitude of key injuries, leading to a 13th-place finish in the Eastern Conference.

The 58-year-old ranks eighth on the NHL's all-time coaching wins list with 752 victories. He has 21 years of head coaching experience between the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, and Capitals. He won a Stanley Cup with the Canes in 2006 and led the Flyers and Preds to Cup Final appearances.