New York Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury announced today that the team has named Gerard Gallant Head Coach.
"I would like to welcome Gerard to the New York Rangers, said James Dolan, Executive Chairman, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. "Gerard's proven track record has made him one of the league's most sought-after coaches, and we are fortunate to have him as part of the team. I have no doubt that he will play a critical role in helping us take the next steps to building a championship-caliber team."
"We are excited to announce that Gerard will be the next Head Coach of the New York Rangers," Drury said. "His vast experience and success behind the bench at several levels make him the ideal choice to lead our team on the ice."
Gallant becomes the 36th head coach in franchise history. He has coached 541 career NHL games as a head coach over parts of nine seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and Vegas Golden Knights, posting a 270-216-4-51 (W-L-T-OT) record (.550 points percentage). Gallant has also guided his team to a playoff appearance in each of his last three full seasons as a head coach, and he has an 18-15 record in 33 career playoff contests as an NHL head coach (.545 winning percentage). Gallant has been a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, presented annually to the coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success," twice in his last five seasons as an NHL head coach (2015-16 with Florida and 2017-18 with Vegas). He won the award in 2017-18.
Gerard Gallant Named Rangers Head Coach
Gallant most recently coached in the NHL with the Golden Knights for parts of three seasons (2017-18 - 2019-20). During his tenure in Vegas, he helped guide the Golden Knights to a 118-75-20 record in 213 games (.601 points percentage), as well as a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017-18. While Gallant was the Golden Knights' Head Coach, Vegas ranked ninth in the NHL in wins and points percentage, ranked 10th in the NHL in goals per game (3.11), tied for eighth in the NHL in goals against per game (2.83), tied for fourth in the NHL in shots on goal per game (33.6), ranked fifth in the NHL in shots on goal against per game (30.1), and ranked third in the NHL in shot attempts percentage at 5-on-5 (52.8%).
Prior to his tenure with Vegas, Gallant served as the Panthers' head coach for parts of three seasons (2014-15 - 2016-17). He joined Florida following a season in which the Panthers recorded the second-fewest points in the NHL. Gallant guided the Panthers to a 25-point improvement in his first season as the team's Head Coach, and helped the team win the Atlantic Division in his second season (47-26-9 record; 103 points).
In addition to serving as a head coach in the NHL, Gallant has served as a head coach and assistant coach at several levels throughout his career. He spent three seasons as the Head Coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 2009-10 - 2011-12. During his tenure in Saint John, Gallant received the Brian Kilrea Award (Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year) and Ron Lapointe Trophy (QMJHL Coach of the Year) twice (2009-10 and 2010-11), helped Saint John win the QMJHL Championship twice (2010-11 and 2011-12), and helped Saint John win the Memorial Cup in 2010-11. He served as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens for two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14), the New York Islanders for two seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09), and the Columbus Blue Jackets for parts of four seasons (2000-01 - 2003-04) prior to becoming Columbus' head coach during the 2003-04 season.
Internationally, the Summerside, Prince Edward Island native has coached in several tournaments. Most recently, Gallant served as Canada's head coach at the 2021 IIHF World Championship and guided the team to a gold medal. He also helped Canada earn a gold medal as an assistant coach at the 2007 IIHF World Championship and a silver medal as an assistant coach at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Gallant also served as an assistant coach with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Gallant played parts of 11 seasons in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning. A left winger, Gallant skated in 615 career NHL games, registering 211 goals and 269 assists for 480 points, along with a plus-58 rating and 1,674 penalty minutes. He was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team in 1988-89 as he established career-highs in goals (39), assists (54), and points (93) with Detroit. Gallant also recorded 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) in 58 career Stanley Cup Playoff games and helped the Red Wings advance to the Campbell Conference Finals in two consecutive seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88).
