Ex-Knights coach Gerard Gallant reportedly hired by Rangers
Former Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant has a new job.
Gallant was hired as coach of the New York Rangers on Monday, the New York Post reported. He replaces David Quinn, who was fired in May after three seasons at the helm.
Gallant, 57, led the Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, the first expansion team to play for the championship since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues.
He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year and also led the Knights to the playoffs the following season.
But with the team mired in a four-game losing streak and falling short of expectations, Gallant was fired Jan. 15, 2020. In two-plus seasons, he compiled a 118-75-20 record.
“The first year was incredible. The closest thing to a miracle on ice I’ve ever seen,” Gallant said during an interview in 2020. “It was a great place to work for 2½ years, there’s no doubt.”
Under Pete DeBoer, the Knights reached the Western Conference Final in 2020 and are back in the Stanley Cup semifinals facing the Montreal Canadiens.
Gallant interviewed for head coaching openings with the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals before this season and reportedly also met with the Columbus Blue Jackets and expansion Seattle Kraken.
After he was fired, Gallant joked to the Review-Journal that he didn’t deserve a video tribute when he returned to T-Mobile Arena.
The Rangers went 27-23-6 in the East Division and were 11 points behind the fourth-place Islanders for the final playoff spot. General manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson also were fired in May, with Chris Drury promoted to both roles.
New York features a youthful core that includes defenseman Adam Fox, forward Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 overall pick last season, and forward Kaapo Kaako, who went second overall in 2019.
Gallant has a reputation for working well with young players, helping to develop the likes of Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch with the Knights and Jonathan Huberdeau during his time in Florida.
Most recently, Gallant led Team Canada to a gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championship this month after the team started the tournament 0-3.
Gallant has a 270-216-51-4 career record over parts of nine NHL seasons with Columbus, Florida and the Knights.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
