Fmr. Capitals head coach’s Ballston home goes on market today

It may not be regulation hockey rink size, but off-ice hockey drills could easily take place inside the rec room of a Ballston home that is now up for sale, with a notable seller.

After working up a sweat, you could grab a drink from the wet bar in the room or make a post-workout snack in the kitchen, outfitted with high-end appliances.

Such uses would be a fitting tribute to former Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette, the soon-to-be former owner. He agreed to part ways with the team this summer and is selling his 7-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom home in walking distance of the Ballston Metro station.

The home at 608 N. Vermont Street hit the market today (Thursday) with a price tag of nearly $2.7 million. The listing on Redfin says the house is already “popular,” garnering north of 1,100 views this morning.

Realtor Danielle Johnson tells ARLnow she has a public open house scheduled for Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

“Obviously, the property in general is so special,” she says. “When they moved in, everything was almost complete. It was a custom built home and then, they came in and they added some amazing features.”

The Laviolettes extended out their paved driveway and added an interior and exterior security system, with an electric security gate, she said. They added custom closets, electric blinds and updated the landscaping, among other changes.

“So even though the house was unbelievable when they bought it, they put a lot of their own money into it with upgrades,” she said. “The Laviolettes left before they were really ready or hoping to, but that’s hockey.”

Laviolette and his wife, Kristen, bought the custom house in the fall of 2020, when it was almost complete and added those finishing touches. Johnson says it was their first “empty-nester” home, with few signs of wear and tear that come with kids.

“It is the first home they lived in while coaching with all the kids out of the house,”  she said. “They were excited to live closer to the city and out of the suburbs. They wanted to be able to walk to restaurants and shops.”

And, a year in, they told NBC Sports it felt like they were finally settling into the 28th home the family had lived in throughout Peter’s career. Before the Capitals, he coached the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators and Philadelphia Flyers.

The real estate adage “location, location, location” was never more true than for the couple. From their Ballston digs, the head coach walked or took a bike to work every day, says Johnson.

“It’s steps away from Ballston Quarter,” she said. “It’s such an awesome location because you still get the feel of a neighborhood with all the beautiful homes around you but then you are literally a one-minute walk to Ballston Quarter and then to the Metro.”

For the times you need your car, there is a rear-detached two-car garage, with an electric car-charging station and an in-law suite on top.

The home is a far cry from the blue collar upbringing Laviolette had, according to Capitals fan blog NoVa Caps. On a radio show last year, he reminisced about playing in the minor leagues, staying in cheap motels and eating the meatloaf special from a truckstop in between games.

Despite a winning record, the Capitals were hampered by a series of player injuries and faced early defeats in playoff games. This year, the team did not make the playoffs for the first time since the 2013-14 season, finishing with a record of 35-37-10.

Laviolette’s $15 million contract expires in June and Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said he and the coach made the decision after a conversation in which it was clear “it was time to move on,” NBC Sports reported.

For the Laviolettes, that means returning to to Florida, where they live during the offseason, The Athletic reports.

“My wife and I had some conversations as the season ended as to what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go,” he told the outlet. “For us, the thought was just to go back to Florida. And like I said, there’s only so many jobs you don’t know if you get another one — you never do.”