Westfield State University alumnus Peter Laviolette '86, the head coach of the NHL's Nashville Predators, has been chosen as a coach for the 2018 NHL All-Star game at Amalie Arena in Tampa on January 28.

Laviolette will coach the Central Division team in the All-Star game, which features a three-on-three All-Star tournament for the third straight year with the top players from each division.

The tournament will have three 20-minute games and each team will be made up of 11 players from each Division: six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

P.K. Subban of the Predators will serve as captain of the Central Division squad during the All-Star weekend.

Laviolette, 53, will coach in the All-Star game for the second time in 16 NHL seasons behind the bench. He currently has the Predators in second place in the central division with a 25-11-6 record and 56 points, just three points behind Winnpeg.

Laviolette was inducted to the Westfield State University Hall of Fame in 2002.

A standout defenseman for Westfield State in the 1980's, was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars and had a long professional career, which included a dozen games in the NHL for the New York Rangers.