Washington Capitals to hire Peter Laviolette as next coach

The Washington Capitals announced Tuesday they have hired Peter Laviolette as the team's next head coach, . ESPN reported the deal will be for three years. 

The 55-year-old Laviolette brings 18 years of head-coaching experience, with a career record of 637-425-123. He led the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006 and also guided the Philadelphia Flyers (2010) and Nashville Predators (2017) to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Laviolette will replace Todd Reirden, who was fired after the Capitals were ousted from the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Reirden took over after the franchise won a Stanley Cup in 2018 and then-coach Barry Trotz left after a contract dispute. Trotz was hired by the New York Islanders, who beat the Capitals in the playoffs and trail 3-1 in their Eastern Conference final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Laviolette was fired by the Predators in January after five and a half seasons. He's technically still under contract with the Predators, and Washington is expected to cover $2.5 million of that deal, ESPN reported.