Igor Shesterkin exposes strict rules/punishments from coach Peter Laviolette

Veteran head coach Peter Laviolette has been around the NHL for over 20 years now, and has enjoyed success at every stop in his career. Currently with the New York Rangers, he led them to the Eastern Conference Final in his first season behind the bench. 

He's also known for his no-nonsense approach to the game, and as such has introduced a set of strict rules that his players must abide by. 

During a recent interview with Russian journalist Daria Tuboltseva, goaltender Igor Shesterkin detailed some of the rules that he and other Rangers players must follow: 

"Last season, Laviolette introduced a rule that everyone must arrive at the hotel four hours before the game starts - this is done so that no one is late for the game because of traffic," he explained. "If the game is at 7 p.m. and you haven't arrived at the hotel by 3 p.m., there will be a fine.

It has never happened that anyone was late, but there have been times when guys arrived just in time. But I always stayed at the hotel. I like to sleep during the day, so I am never late."

Additionally, Shesterkin explained how the entire Rangers' playing structure changed under Laviolette and helped result in the best regular season record in franchise history with 55 wins and 114 points. 

"Our game system has changed," Shesterkin said. "Laviolette pays much attention to detail. We have many meetings. Everything was positive. We added team games that brought the team together. I talked to guys from other teams where Laviolette also worked, and they said that he practiced this there. The coach would do a cycle of four games and ask the players to do something special in them, and the best three players completing the tasks would get a gift from him.

Once he presented Artemi Panarin a DVD, but Artemi said he did not have a DVD player. Laviolette brought him a DVD player  as a gift the next day. Towards the end of the season, I also started getting some gifts.”

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