Goaltender and former Vezina trophy winner Igor Shesterkin said in a recent interview Laviolette set a rule last season where players must be at the hotel four hours before game time to avoid fines for being late.
According to Shesterkin, Laviolette's rule is geared towards players not being stuck in traffic and arriving on time. So, if the game at Madison Square Garden starts at 7 p.m., players need to be at the hotel by 3 p.m. to avoid a fine.
Shesterkin pointed out that while no one has been fined yet, there have been close calls. He also sticks to this rule in order to get some rest during the afternoon.
Last season, Laviolette introduced a rule that everyone must arrive at the hotel four hours before the game starts - this is done so that no one is late for the game because of traffic. If the game is at 7 p.m. and you haven't arrived at the hotel by 3 p.m., there will be a fine.
It has never happened that anyone was late, but there have been times when guys arrived just in time. But I always stayed at the hotel. I like to sleep during the day, so I am never late.
It's of a tough-love approach from Laviolette, but it's the right one as the players have to navigate the rigors and potential distractions of the city that never sleeps every day.