Photo: Youtube
The New York Rangers announced early Saturday evening that the team and head coach Gerard Galant have mutually agreed to part ways.
OFFICIAL: #NYR and head coach Gerard Gallant have mutually agreed to part ways.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 6, 2023
“I want to first thank Gerard for his work and commitment to the Rangers during his time as head coach,” Rangers GM Chris Drury in a statement. “I have a ton of respect for Gerard as both a coach and person and truly appreciate everything he did for us on and off the ice these last two seasons.
“After my evaluation of the season and discussions with Gerard, we mutually came to the conclusion that a change would be beneficial for both parties. I wish he and his family all the best in the future. Our search for a new head coach will begin right away.”
Gallant was announced as the head coach of the New York Rangers on June 16, 2021, replacing David Quinn. Gallant had next season plus a club option left on his contract.
Gallant had next season plus a club option left on his contract.
My sense is Gallant still does want to coach. So a very good name now on the free-agent coaching market. https://t.co/K5UPE0TT9R— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 6, 2023
Gallant became the first to coach the Rangers to back-to-back 100-point seasons in his first two years with the franchise On April 2, 2023, but would lose in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Gallant was announced as the first head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights on April 13, 2017. Gallant led the Vegas to one of the most successful debut seasons for an expansion team in North American major professional sports history, ultimately losing to the Capitals in the 2018 Stanley Cup finals.
Gallant would lead the Golden Knights to another playoff appearance in 2019, losing in the Western Conference First Round to the San Jose Sharks. He was ultimately fired by the Golden Knights on January 15, 2020, after a four-game losing streak.
The 2022 Jack Adams Award nominees… pic.twitter.com/FZsE3BrUDl
— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) May 6, 2023
On a side note, all three of the 2022 Jack Adams nominees are now no longer with the team they were nominated for coaching.
Bring him to me!
While tempting for Caps fans. I think the Caps should aim for someone new and not another retread.
I agree. Not a development type coach. No retreads.
He will at least get an interview in Washington. But I worry about his postseason abilities.
SIGN HIM SIGN HIM SIGN HIM
He is part of the reason that Laf and Kakko didn’t develop well and you want him?
Totally agree and for the brand of hockey being played today he is not the HC just like PL was not the HC. This team needs someone younger with new ideas and can work with hockey today not 20 years ago.
When the Caps won the Cup in Vegas, Gallant impressed me. He took a bunch of castoffs and molded them into a team. But my opinion since then has been down, not up. Can’t point to a single reason. Maybe he has just not been a good fit with the culture, the GM, or the players, but I just don’t feel that he has managed to put teams together since. He would not be on my short list of candidates.
I think I’m with you. Still digesting, though.
Gallant would be a safe hire for Caps, but that’s not what the Caps need to do.
I think that’s a good way to put it – a “safe hire”. Your point about maybe not best hire also holds water for me.
A safe hire in that you will have him do the same here and not develop younger talent but instead want more older players, similar to PL. IF, and I hope not, he is hired let it be for 2 or at the most 3 years.
A safe hire in that he will get you to the playoffs. Something not guaranteed- but that’s probably it.
For me a safe hire is someone who will not let this team be the worst in the league. As for making the playoffs I really don’t see that happening in the next several years as they are just a bad team with way to many old and slow players. The retooling will make this team “safe’ but not get it into the playoffs.
The Jack Adams is the worst award to win. You usually get it by greatly exceeding expectations. Then you revert to the mean next year BUT the expectations remain to have the same success or more. It’s the Pomodoro Rosso of awards
Exactly. Shows you how much value there is in the award.
Jon Cooper has never won it.
To retread, or not to reread, that is the question.
Gallant is an excellent coach. The Rangers are unlikely to find anyone better. The Caps would probably do best to bring in a young coach like Carbury. But I’d be ok with Gallant.
From the comments I’m reading, Gallant is like Laviolette in that he wants experienced players and does not want to develop the youngsters. I heard that the Caps will interview Jeff Halpern, a Maryland native and former Cap. Anybody know how he does with the youngsters?
I’am having trouble reading between lines did they “mutually agree” he was fired!!
I think biggest thing I get out of this is players don’t like “hard ass” coach’s!!
Just because some players don’t like methods you can’t argue against results of Babcock,Sutter,Quinnville,etc.,in the words of late Raiders owner Al Davis “Just win Baby!”
Anybody quoting Al Davis gets an immediate “like”. 👊
Not the coach we need …we need to think younger here.
Snotty, petulant NYR GM making a tantrum decision. It’s the new NHL.
Last game in Toronto, Sportsnet cameras were focused on Maple Leafs GM Dubas’s mezzanine suite. When FLA scored yet another goal, Dubs shouted angry F-bombs, then twirled around and flung his full water bottle across the suite, with junior execs ducking for cover
And we have snotty. petulant owners too. The Fenway Drinking Club what owns the Penguins axed GM Hextall after he had only a few short years to Make A Miracle and produce a Championship in Pittsburgh. In all three cases – PIT, TOR and NYR – a really good coach or GM was heave-ho even after successful season, and coming up a hair short in the everybody-but-one-is-a-loser playoff system
The NYR were an exciting team to watch this year. I watched them closely (being a former, long time ago fan). They sold out at the trade deadline and bought a couple high end, past their prime super stars and immediately became a less exciting, less cohesive team.
The Devils found a way to exploit their lack of speed (those old super stars) and narrowly defeated them in round one.
And this was the coach’s fault?
The list of head coaches who have been able to sustain very high success over several seasons is short – let alone trips to the SC finals.
Are these very special men or are these organizations that resist screwing with their rosters in March?
James you are spot-on re: Monkeying with good rosters on good teams at the “Trade Deadline”
The Caps essentailly have never improved their team with trade-deadline acquisitions. More frequently their deadline players resulted in divisiveness or other negativity that torqued-off good current players. Arnott, Shattenkirk and Erat come to mind.
GM Mac has resisted the “all-in” Trade Deadline chill-shocking of the Caps’ team. Good on Mac.
Jon, perhaps an updated article on candidates possibly considering those proposed in the many comments to your articles, those suggested in the press, plus any newly available? For example, Clutchpoints suggests three assistants to replace Sutter: Carbery, Cory Stillman, and Mitch Love. For the Caps they also suggest assistants — Carbery, Halpern, and Joel Ward.
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