A third-generation hockey coach is stepping into the professional ranks, mirroring the path of his father nearly three decades earlier. The younger Laviolette is set to begin his head coaching career in the ECHL, the same league where his father, Peter Laviolette, launched his own journey. The move marks a rare instance of familial legacy in the sport, with the younger coach poised to take over a team in the same developmental league that shaped his father’s early career. Fans and analysts will watch closely to see how the next generation builds on the Laviolette coaching legacy.

Nearly 30 years after Los Angeles Kings coach Peter Laviolette got his start as a head coach in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers, his son, Peter Laviolette III, is following in his footsteps.