Gerard Gallant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gerard Gallant
Gallant with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018
Born	(1963-09-02) September 2, 1963 (age 61) Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Tampa Bay Lightning
Coached for	Columbus Blue Jackets Florida Panthers Vegas Golden Knights New York Rangers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	107th overall, 1981 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1984–1995
Coaching career	1998–present
Medal record Representing  Canada Men's ice hockey World Championships Silver 1989 Sweden

Gerard Gallant (born September 2, 1963) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach of the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Gallant has also been the head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets (2004–2006), Florida Panthers (2014–2016), and Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2020). He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach in 2018 with the Golden Knights. He also won the Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award twice in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).

Before coaching, Gallant played for eleven seasons in the NHL. He mainly played for the Detroit Red Wings and also had a short time with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Early Life and Junior Hockey

Gallant was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada. He grew up close to an ice rink. He would often sweep the stands with his friends to get extra time on the ice.

He earned the nickname "Turk" when he was very young, around three or four years old. When he joined the NHL, some players also called him "Spuddy." This was because Prince Edward Island is famous for its potatoes.

At 16, Gallant played for the Summerside Crystals. He scored 60 goals and 115 points in just 45 games.

In junior hockey, Gallant played for three teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). These teams were the Sherbrooke Castors, the St. Jean Beavers, and the Verdun Juniors. He was the team captain in his final year of junior hockey.

Playing Career Highlights

The Detroit Red Wings drafted Gallant in 1981. He was the 107th player picked overall.

He started his professional career in 1983 with the Adirondack Red Wings in the American Hockey League (AHL). At 19, he was the youngest regular player on the team. He scored 31 goals and 64 points in 77 games that season.

Gallant played his first NHL game for the Detroit Red Wings on January 22, 1985. He scored a goal in that game against the New York Islanders. In his second game, he had a fight with a New York Rangers player.

He became a full-time player for the Red Wings in the 1985–86 season. In December 1985, he broke his jaw during a game. His jaw was wired shut for six weeks, and he missed several games. When he returned, he wore a special face mask on his helmet.

Gallant's career improved after Jacques Demers became the Red Wings' coach in 1986. For the next four seasons, he scored many goals and had many penalty minutes. He was named to the NHL All-Star Second Team in the 1988–89 NHL season.

Injuries, especially to his back, caused Gallant to miss many games in the early 1990s. In March 1991, he had surgery on his back. This made him miss the rest of that season and the playoffs.

After the 1992–93 season, the Red Wings did not offer him a new contract. On July 22, 1993, Gallant signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played 51 games for them in 1993–94.

In 1995, Gallant signed with the Detroit Vipers in the IHL. However, he suffered a career-ending back injury in practice on November 5, 1995. He had to retire from playing at age 32.

Gallant finished his NHL playing career with 211 goals in 615 games. He also scored 18 goals in playoff games.

International Hockey Experience

Gallant played for Team Canada at the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships. He played alongside his Red Wings teammate Steve Yzerman. Gallant scored two goals and had three assists in eight games. Team Canada won the silver medal at this tournament.

Player Style

Even though he was not the tallest player (5 feet 10 inches), Gallant played as a "power forward." This means he was strong and good at scoring goals while also being physical. He often played on the Red Wings' top line with star player Steve Yzerman.

Gallant was known for scoring goals and getting many penalty minutes. In the 1988–89 season, he scored 39 goals, had 54 assists, and earned 230 penalty minutes. This was a rare achievement in NHL history. His coach, Jacques Demers, believed Gallant's fighting might have kept him from scoring 50 goals in a season.

Gallant was a well-liked teammate. He often served as an alternate captain. He even acted as captain when Steve Yzerman was injured in 1988.

Coaching Career Journey

Gallant started his coaching career in 1995–96 with his hometown team, the Summerside Capitals. He led them to win the Royal Bank Cup in 1997.

He then moved to professional coaching. He was an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Komets in 1998 and the Louisville Panthers in 1999–2000.

From 2001 to 2004, Gallant was an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL. He became the head coach of the Blue Jackets on January 1, 2004. He coached them until November 2006.

In 2007, Gallant was an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Team Canada won the gold medal.

He then joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach for two seasons (2007–2009).

On April 24, 2009, Gallant became the head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL. During his three seasons, his team had an amazing record. They won two QMJHL championships (2011 and 2012) and one Memorial Cup (2011). Gallant was also named the Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year twice.

On June 15, 2012, Gallant returned to the NHL as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens.

On June 21, 2014, he was named the head coach of the Florida Panthers. In his first season, he helped the Panthers improve significantly. In the 2015–16 season, the Panthers had a club-record 47 wins and won their division title. Gallant was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award that year. He was fired by the Panthers in November 2016.

On April 13, 2017, Gallant was announced as the first head coach of the new Vegas Golden Knights team.

Gallant led the Golden Knights to an incredibly successful first season. They set an NHL record for most wins by an expansion team. They also won their division title. On April 25, 2018, Gallant won the Jack Adams Award for best coach. The Golden Knights even made it to the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, but they lost to the Washington Capitals.

The Golden Knights made the playoffs again in 2019 but lost in the first round. Gallant was fired by the Golden Knights on January 15, 2020.

On April 28, 2021, Gallant coached Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. Even after a tough start, Team Canada won the gold medal in overtime.

On June 16, 2021, Gallant became the head coach of the New York Rangers. He led the Rangers to two straight seasons with over 100 points, which was a first for the team in his first two years. He left the Rangers after their playoff exit in 2023.

Personal Life

Gerard Gallant is married to Pam, and they have two children, Melissa and Jason. Melissa is married to former hockey player Darryl Boyce. Jason played hockey for the Summerside Western Capitals and now coaches youth hockey.

Awards and Championships

As a player

• QMJHL championship: 1982, 1983
• QMJHL All-Star Third Team: 1982–83
• NHL All-Star second team: 1988–89
• IIHF World Championship – silver medal: 1989

As a coach

• RBC Cup: 1997
• Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame: inducted 2001
• Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award: 2010, 2011
• IIHF World Championship – gold medal: 2007, 2021
• QMJHL League championship: 2011, 2012
• Memorial Cup championship: 2011
• Ron Lapointe Trophy – QMJHL Coach of the Year: 2011
• NHL All-Star Game: 2016, 2018
• Jack Adams Award: 2018
• The Hockey News, Scotty Bowman Award (Best Coach): 2018

Career Statistics

Head Coaching Record