Gerard Gallant has reportedly reached an agreement to become the 36th head coach in New York Rangers franchise history, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The contract is expected to be a four-year deal, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN.
The news comes just eight days after Gallant led Team Canada to a gold medal at the IIHF World Championships despite starting the tournament 0-3.
The 57-year-old was last behind an NHL bench during the 2019-20 campaign, serving in his third season with the Vegas Golden Knights. He was fired midway through the year by the Golden Knights after the team started 24-19-6. He was replaced by Peter DeBoer.
Gallant will be succeeding ex-Blueshirts head coach David Quinn. Quinn was fired following the 2020-21 season, after failing to qualify for the playoffs in the East Division. He left New York with a 96-87-25 record in his first-ever stint in the NHL. He never managed to qualify for the playoffs during his three years behind the bench.
Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that the Rangers were eyeing an experienced head coach, and Gallant certainly fits the description. He’s been a head coach for parts of nine seasons in the NHL, while also serving as an assistant for parts of eight campaigns.
Gallant has spent time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and Golden Knights. His career record is 270-217-4-50 and he won the Jack Adams Award in 2017-18 as the NHL’s best coach after taking Vegas to the Stanley Cup final in the franchise’s inaugural season.
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