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The New York Rangers have hired Gerard Gallant as their next head coach, a source confirmed to ESPN on Monday. Gallant received a four-year contract.
Gallant, 57, was the first coach of the Vegas Golden Knights and led them to an unlikely Stanley Cup final spot in the opening season (2017-18). Gallant was fired in January 2020 and was replaced by Peter DeBoer, a former coach of the Golden Knight’s then-rival, the San Jose Sharks.
Gallant spent the last year free from coaching in the NHL. He recently led the Canadian team to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships – a huge achievement considering the team started the tournament 0-3.
Gallant has a career record of 270-216-4-51 during nine NHL seasons as head coach, and he also spends time behind the bench of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers. He was the winner of the Jack Adams Award for Coach of the Year in Vegas.
“Turk [Gerard Gallant] was such an awesome coach, “Vegas striker Jonathan Marchessault told ESPN last week.” He brought the wrong team to the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Stanley Cup final. He was All-Star that year, and a year later he was All-Star again. It just surprised everyone. But it just shows how unstable hockey can be. “
The Rangers fired coach David Quinn and three of his assistant coaches in May. Goalkeeper coach Benoit Allaire was the only assistant. Quinn, employed by Boston University, had just completed a third five-year contract with the Rangers. Quinn’s job was to get the Rangers through the new building, though ownership grew impatient as the team missed the playoffs this season.
CEO Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson were also fired in May. Former player Chris Drury has since been promoted.
The Rangers were one of the youngest teams in the NHL last season and are building a strong core around them. New York has completely moved away from the team that made it to the 2014 Stanley Cup final. Chris Kreider is the only remaining player on the team list.
The Rangers placed No. 2 in 2019 (Kaapo Kakko) and No. 1 in 2020 (Alexis Lafrenire). The team is excited about several other founding players, including defender Adam Fox, who is this season’s Norris Trophy finalist, and star player Artemi Panarin, the Hart Trophy finalist in 2020.
At end-of-season news conferences, many Rangers players referred to new pressures for 2021-22.
“That message has been sent and received,” striker Ryan Strome said. “We just have to get into the playoffs.”
The New York Post first reported on hiring Gallant.
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