Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette suffers head injury during camp

The New York Rangers’ training camp is underway and unfortunately for head coach Peter Laviolette, it started out rough. Not because the players are rusty or unmotivated, but because Arthur Staple of The Athletic has just reported that Laviolette took a puck off the side of his head and was helped off the ice by a trainer.

According to this early report, the incident took place at the start of the second day of camp on Friday. Poor Laviolette, before his first game as head coach of the Blue Shirts. 

Laviolette signed to become the Rangers' new head coach this summer after he was released by the Washington Capitals earlier this offseason. He failed to guide the Capitals to the playoffs after two consecutive 1st round losses the previous two campaigns. Prior to that he was head coach of the Nashville Predators for six seasons, guiding them to a Stanley Cup Final berth in 2017. Speaking of the Cup Final... Laviolette also guided the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and, maybe most notably, won a Stanley Cup championship with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

Laviolette played 12 career NHL games, with the Rangers, during the 1988-89 season, but forgot how to watch for loose pucks during practice.

Let's hope he's okay and we will provide an update once the team releases more information on the incident.

UPDATE from Staple: After leaving with the trainer, Laviolette returned on the ice for the rest of practice. Whew!

Recommended articles:

• Artemi Panarin makes one of his teammates cry at camp
• Rookie Logan Cooley moves in with former Canucks, Leafs and Rangers fan favorite
• NHL All-Star Brad Maxwell has lost his battle with cancer.
• Rangers hire Hockey Hall of Famer Angela Ruggiero
• The real truth behind Alexis Lafrenière’s contract in New York emerges!