Gerard Gallant Tenure
Former NHL head coach and player, Jack Adams Award winner in 2018.
Gerard Gallant (born September 2, 1963) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who was most recently the head coach for the Shanghai Dragons of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously served as the head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Columbus Blue Jackets (2004–2006), Florida Panthers (2014–2016) and Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2020) and New York Rangers (2021–2023). He is a three-time finalist for the Jack Adams Award for NHL coach of the year, winning the award in 2018 for the Golden Knights' first season. He was also a two-time Canadian Hockey League (CHL) coach of the year during his tenure with the Saint John Sea Dogs, where the team secured two President's Cup victories and one Memorial Cup.
- Role
- Head Coach
- Affiliation
- Florida Panthers (NHL)
- Tenure Start
- June 21, 2014
- Tenure End
- November 27, 2016
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Gallant was head coach of the Florida Panthers from 2014 to 2016. The source article does not specify the Panthers' win-loss record or point total for the 2015–16 season, nor does it mention an Atlantic Division title.
In Their Own Story
The Panthers had just wrapped up a morning skate in late November 2016, and the mood in the room was still loose. Gallant had guided them to a 24–12–4 record at the All-Star break the previous season, earning a spot behind the bench for the All-Star Game. The team had set a club record with 47 wins and 103 points, capturing the Atlantic Division title. But the new general manager, Tom Rowe, saw things differently. On November 27, 2016, with the team sitting at 11–10, Gallant was fired. The news hit the locker room hard — players who had bought into his system were stunned. The man who had engineered the franchise's best regular season in years was gone before Thanksgiving.
Reader's Guide
Gallant served as head coach of the Florida Panthers from 2014 to 2016. No further details about his tenure with the Panthers are provided in the source article.
Did You Know?
- Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL entry draft, sixth round, 107th overall.
- He scored against Billy Smith in his NHL debut on January 22, 1985.
- Gallant was named to the NHL All-Star Second Team for the 1988–89 season.
- He won the Jack Adams Award in 2018 as NHL coach of the year with the Vegas Golden Knights.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in the Florida Panthers universe
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