Laviolette jokes he's a 'decent coach' but a 'horrible parent' originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
When you spend most of your professional life instructing players what to do on the ice, it's hard to turn that switch off.
New Capitals coach Peter Laviolette has had to deal with the balance of coaching his teams and advising his kids for the better part of 20 years during his career, and while he's certainly not as bad as he thinks, Laviolette had a funny way of explaining his coaching and parenting skills.
"I'm a decent coach, I'm a horrible parent," Laviolette said Wednesday on The Sports Junkies.
Laviolette explained how he isn't the type of parent to yell a lot at games and get booted by a referee. He's a quiet fan in the stands, though he admitted his kids probably don't react to his coaching style the same way pro hockey players have.
"It's a different mindset when you're coaching professionally and when you're coaching your kid," he said. "When you're coaching professionally and there are these epics, like 'You have to do the right thing.' And when you're coaching your kid, all you're doing is trying to push them the whole time."
Parenting jokes aside, it's hard to argue with his reputation on an NHL bench. He's won over 600 games, been to three Stanley Cup Finals and won one in his first season with the Hurricanes.
The Capitals chose him because of his track record and coaching style, and if they want a chance at another title, Laviolette will need to be his normal self in establishing a culture of motivation and accountability.
