As the saying goes, like father, like son, right? Or, perhaps, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? The Laviolette family’s coaching roots dug even deeper into the hockey world this week. Kings coach Peter Laviolette’s son, Peter Laviolette III, accepted his first coaching job for the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.
The Nailers, formerly a 29-year partner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are now the ECHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Coaching Roots of Peter Laviolette
The elder Laviolette, set to begin his first year as coach of the Los Angeles Kings, once coached the Wheeling Nailers. He led the Nailers to the Northern Conference Final in 1997-98. Peter Laviolette’s son now joins the organization in the city where he was born. Laviolette III, born in Wheeling, later played for the Nailers.
Peter Laviolette used his success in Wheeling to launch a successful AHL career with the Providence Bruins. He then became maybe the most well-traveled head coach of the 21st century. The elder Laviolette has coached on Long Island, won a Stanley Cup in Carolina, took Philadelphia and Nashville to the Stanley Cup Finals and coached in Washington and New York before finally arriving in Los Angeles.
Still, it all comes back to humble beginnings with the state of West Virginia’s only professional hockey team.
Peter Laviolette’s Son’s Next Chapter
Peter Laviolette III finished his pro hockey career splitting time between Orlando and Savannah. He returns to Wheeling, where he suited up for 110 ECHL games with his hometown team. Peter Laviolette’s son will get a rare opportunity, working for his hometown team as an assistant coach.
In a statement released Tuesday, Wheeling Nailers President and Governor Brian Komorowski issued high praise for Peter Laviolette’s son.
“Peter Laviolette III was a tremendous ambassador for the Wheeling Nailers as a player, and we are happy that he will be able to begin his coaching career here at home. You couldn’t ask for a better mentor for Peter than his father, who also began his coaching career in Wheeling and has become one of the best coaches in the NHL. Peter’s passion for the game aligns perfectly with Nate DiCasmirro and Jason Payne, and we look forward to watching him develop as a coach, while teaching all of our new players what it means to be a Nailer.”
Returns to Wheeling
Wheeling has been a good starting point for coaches. Recently, Ryan Papaioannou led Wheeling to a conference finals appearance. He caught the attention of the Vancouver Canucks organization. They named him the new head coach of AHL Abbotsford, following in the footsteps of Manny Malhotra. The latter is now head coach in Vancouver.
Nate DiCasmirro, the new Wheeling head coach, had high praise for Peter Laviolette’s son.
“Peter Laviolette III comes from a strong family lineage of coaching, and he was also recommended to me by Derek Army, who coached him for three years here in Wheeling. Peter put in a tremendous amount of work to earn this position, plus he has an unbelievable amount of energy, dedication, passion, and enthusiasm for the game of hockey. He is already part of the Nailers family and has started his own family in Wheeling, so I am excited to help him start his coaching career here, just like his dad did almost 30 years ago.”
If he’s anything like his dad, it won’t take long for Laviolette’s son to take steps in the coaching ranks.
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