Rangers officially hire new head coach and Rangers fans are not happy

"We are thrilled that Peter will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers," GM Chris Drury said in a prepared statement. "With Peter's extensive experience as a Head Coach in the National Hockey League, as well as the success his teams have had at several levels throughout his career, we are excited about what the future holds with him leading our team."

Laviolette, of course, 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.

"I would like to welcome Peter to the New York Rangers," said James Dolan, Executive Chairman, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. "Peter's impressive resumé, which includes winning a Stanley Cup and advancing to the Final with three different teams, has made him one of the most respected coaches in the league. As we move forward in our goal to consistently contend for the Stanley Cup, I am confident that Peter is the right head coach to lead our team."

Interestingly enough, Laviolette played 12 career NHL games, with the Rangers, during the 1988-89 season.

Reaction from the Rangers' fanbase has been mixed, to say the least.

Just check out some of these reactions of the official announcement:

Frankly, I'm inclined to agree with this sentiment. I mean... just another recycled member of the NHL coaching Old Boys Club? Yawn... 

What's especially interesting to me about this hire is Laviolette's lack of success with developing young talent. In other words, Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere are on their own.