Mike Peca will join Peter Laviolette's coaching staff at New York Rangers

On June 13, the New York Rangers announced the hiring of Peter Laviolette as their new head coach, putting an end to their search. Laviolette is set to be joined by a familiar face on the bench.

According to Jeff Marek of Sportsnet, former NHL player Mike Peca will join Peter Laviolette's coaching staff with the New York Rangers.

"Mike Peca will be joining Peter Laviolette on the bench with the New York Rangers."

Interestingly, Mike Peca was acquired by the New York Islanders from the Buffalo Sabres in 2001, the same year the Islanders hired Laviolette as a coach. He later became the Islanders' captain during Laviolette's tenure.

For the past two seasons, Peca served as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL). He is, therefore, a well-known figure in the hockey community.

Edmonton Oilers v Vancouver Canucks

Before opting for a career in coaching, the 49-year-old played 14 seasons in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and the New York Islanders.

Peca was the 42nd overall pick for the Vancouver Canucks in the 1992 NHL Draft. During his 14 seasons in the NHL, he played 864 games and accumulated 465 points (176 goals and 289 assists). He also won an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

In 2009, Peca played his last season in the league with the Blue Jackets and on January 2010, he decided to hang up his skates and announced his retirement from professional hockey.

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A look at the coaching career of New York Rangers' upcoming coaching staff member Mike Peca

Two years later, after retiring from professional hockey, Mike Peca joined the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the OJHL, and he was announced as their new head coach in the 2012-13 season.

In his first two years of coaching, Peca posted an impressive record of 66 wins in 108 regular season games. He tasted success in his first tenure with the team and was honored with OJHL Coach of the Year.

In 2021, the Washington Capitals appointed Peca as their player development coach for the 2020-21 season. Following that, he was hired by the Buffalo Sabres as the assistant coach for their American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, with whom he spent two seasons.

On June 2023, it was reported by Jeff Marek of Sportsnet that Peca will be joining Laviolette as a coaching staff member with the New York Rangers.