June 16: The Rangers have officially announced the hiring of Gallant as their next head coach. The four-year deal is worth around $3.5MM a year, according to LeBrun. That puts Gallant on the higher end of the coaching spectrum, but actually comes in quite a bit lower than the league’s highest-paid bench bosses. Quinn, Gallant’s predecessor, earns $2.4MM per season on his five-year deal.
June 14: The New York Rangers have found their new head coach. Larry Brooks of the New York Post is reporting that the Rangers have reached an agreement to hire Gerard Gallant, who had been considered the favorite to land the job for some time.
It seemed like a perfect fit from the moment the Rangers fired David Quinn, but Gallant and the team both did their due diligence. The veteran head coach interviewed elsewhere, including multiple meetings with the Columbus Blue Jackets before they decided to go with Brad Larsen, while New York spoke with several other candidates while Gallant coached Team Canada in Latvia at the World Championship. The two sides obviously decided that it was the best fit in the end, with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweeting that it will be a four-year deal.
If he gets through that term, it will be the first time he lasts four years with a team. In each of Gallant’s head coaching stops, he has been fired in the middle of his third season with the team, most recently by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. Despite taking them to the Stanley Cup Final in year one and back to the playoffs in year two, the Golden Knights replaced Gallant with Pete DeBoer last season after a so-so beginning to the regular season. Since then, the 57-year-old has been waiting for the right opportunity, while also helping Canada to a gold medal in the recent international tournament.
That opportunity is in New York, where a young, talented Rangers team is ready to take the next step. The front office was gutted earlier this year when chairman James Dolan fired both president John Davidson and GM Jeff Gorton, installing Chris Drury in their place. At the time, it was clear that ownership wasn’t happy with the speed at which the rebuild was moving, meaning you can expect a few more kick-start moves this summer. One of those is Gallant, who knows how to both develop young players and get the best out of veterans at the same time.
He is responsible for the only 100+ point season in Florida Panthers history, which he achieved thanks to the performances by 20-year-old Aleksander Barkov and 43-year-old Jaromir Jagr. He managed a .601 winning percentage with the Golden Knights, despite many believing the team would be near the bottom of the standings like most expansion teams at the beginning of their existence.
He’ll now be tasked with reaching the playoffs in a tough Metropolitan Division, while also turning the likes of Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and Vitali Kravtsov into the difference-makers they were drafted to be.
Fantastic hire. Devils blew it last year when they decided to hire a coach based on taking the minimum salary
It is amazing how many teams will cheap out and hire a vastly inferior coach to save less than a couple of million dollars a year, but then go give a fourth liner 2.5 million a year because they “have truculence.”
I find your comment Cromulent.
I only hope that it can embiggen the approach that teams take.
@KAR 120C – Better that than flatulent! :)
Hiring a coach with a proven record!!! Finally!
Now go out and get the players he needs to bring this team back to respectability!!
They’re already there.
The Rangers could use some more toughness. Not goons but a guy like Lucic (not Lucic obviously). Guys who actually finish checks into the boards. Rangers are young; they’re exciting, but tbh the lack of toughness is disappointing. Braden Schneider will be good but he’s a ways away. Idk just need some more checkers imo, maybe ones who are vets in the NHL
It seems that the NY Rangers have failed to protect their star players for years now. Nash, McDonaugh, Vesey, Lafreniere, Trouba and so on. Let’s not pretend players like Tom Wilson don’t help their club win games with their style of play. The NY Rangers have been pansies for years when it comes to protecting their star players. They could use an enforcer of their own.
Back to respectability indeed. They’re not “already there” either. They can’t even defend their own guys on the ice. They lose every fight they start and have to resort to stick work. That’s not respectability. Gallant should help them get that. The Rangers don’t need guys “like” goons or enforcers, they need the real thing.
Enforcers are coming back though they’re not the same ones that earned that name. Enforcers/goons used to be guys who were only on the roster to come on the ice and fight. There are no such players anymore. Enforcers/Goons are skilled players now. They can skate, score, defend, check and can generally play hockey plus they’re aggressive, physical and can fight. They can play on the first or second lines. They are actual hockey players with a desirable skill set.
These kinds of players are in high demand and I expect will be on the rise once again. I sure hope so, the league could stand to be tougher. Fighting has been making a comeback the last few years as well. Maybe making the sport “softer” isn’t sticking after all.
Couldn’t have said it any better sessh. Totally agree.
First order of business is probably a trade with Vegas as Reeves would love to play for Turk again I would imagine…that would make team not to be thrown around as much.. and It would help Vegas’ Cap Problems …
I think Kassian would be a better fit. More skilled, pretty good shot and great skater. Hits hard, fights and will ragdoll other teams stars. Tkachuk says hi. Reaves is a bit to lumbering. Also Reaves cap is only 1.75m. Hardly hurting Vegas. He also just last week answered questions for an article and stated how much he LOVES living and playing in Vegas
Gallant love to roll four lines and loves To play heavyweight enforcers
ugh, another great coach in the division. just replace Alain at this point, Fletcher
Way to go Turk all on PEI is very proud you landed in a great hockey market…great hire Drury…now go out and improve your team..
Great hire.Now he can sit down with Drury and discuss the upcoming “drafts”. Curious to see who they expose to the Kraken and how they approach the amateur draft.
Lame. I was hoping that my team’s division rival would hire a bum instead of one of the best coaches in the league.
I guess Drury didn’t consider our preferences at all here.
Also, this ends any interest I could have in replacing Mike Sullivan. Gallant was the only coach who would have been as good.
Always about you.
Glad you agree.
You should teach Drury some basic courtesy. He’s clearly lacking.
Buch for Kassian and a 3rd.
Done !!
He should be on the higher end pay scale…look what he has done..Just because McCrimmon wanted his buddy in Vegas with him DeBoer in and Turk got ousted …..