Peter Laviolette Peter Laviolette Jr . ( born December 7 , 1964 ) is an American former National Hockey League ( NHL ) defenceman and former head coach . From 2003 - 2008 , he was the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes , which he led to a Stanley Cup championship in the 2005 - 06 season . As a player , Laviolette spent the majority of his 10 - year career playing for various minor league teams . He played twelve games in the NHL for the New York Rangers in the 1988 – 89 season . He began his coaching career as head coach of the ECHL Wheeling Nailers . In one season as coach , he led his team to a 37 – 24 – 9 record and a berth in the playoffs , wherein they lost in the third round . He left Wheeling to take over the head coaching job of the Providence Bruins . In 1998 – 99 he coached the team to a 56 – 15 – 4 regular - season record . In the playoffs Providence won the American Hockey League ( AHL ) Championship with a 15 – 4 playoff record . Laviolette was named AHL Coach of the Year . Laviolette ' s success in the AHL earned him a stint as an assistant coach of the Boston Bruins . Having grown up in the Boston suburb of Franklin , Massachusetts , Laviolette was disappointed when he did not get the head coaching job in Boston after that season so he left for the head coaching job on Long Island . After taking over the New York Islanders , which had suffered seven years of post - season futility prior to his arrival , he led his team to the playoffs in both seasons he was there . His first season in New York resulted in a surprisingly consistent reason in which the Islanders earned 96 points ( 42 – 28 – 8 – 4 record ) , nearly winning the Atlantic division , before losing a close playoff series to the Toronto Maple Leafs . The Islanders sneaked into the playoffs the next season and then lost in 5 games to the Ottawa Senators in the first round . Laviolette came to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2003 – 04 season . He took over following the firing of Paul Maurice . In his first season , he coached 52 games during a rebuilding year . Laviolette led the Hurricanes to an excellent regular season during his second year at the helm , winning the Southeast Division with 112 points ( 52 – 22 – 8 record ) . The Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history during the 2006 playoffs , after winning two very close seven - game playoff series over the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers . He was runner - up in the Coach of the Year Award , which was awarded to Lindy Ruff in the closest vote ever recorded for this award , 155 – 154 . After winning their first title , Laviolette ' s Hurricanes suffered through an injury - plagued 2006 – 07 season that saw the team finish with a disappointing 40 – 34 – 8 record . The next season , the team once again got off to a poor start , but held first place in a weak division for most of the season , despite having a sub - . 500 record until February . The team then got hot and built what was seen as a solid lead . However , the Washington Capitals got red hot in the final weeks , Carolina lost several games down the stretch , and Laviolette ' s group missed the postseason . On December 3 , 2008 , Laviolette was fired as coach of the Hurricanes and replaced by his predecessor Paul Maurice . Laviolette coached the U . S . Olympic Men ' s Hockey Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy . On November 7 , 2008 , Laviolette became the winningest US - born NHL coach with his 240th victory . Now Laviolette works on the panel for the TV network TSN