Gerard Gallant Named Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach

The Vegas Golden Knights have tabbed Gerard Gallant as their first head coach, the franchise confirmed on Thursday.

TSN's Darren Dreger first reported the news on Wednesday.  

An 11-year NHL veteran who played with the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, Gallant most recently served as the head coach of the Florida Panthers. 

He joined the franchise prior to the 2014-15 campaign but was fired in November following an 11-9-1 start to the 2016-17 season. All told, the Panthers posted a record of 96-64-25, good for a winning percentage of .586 during Gallant's time at the helm. 

The most prosperous run during that window came during the 2015-16 season, when the Panthers went 47-26-9 en route to a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division. However, they were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Islanders. 

Prior to serving as the Panthers' boss, Gallant spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets after he took over for Doug MacLean in that role. 

That stretch wasn't quite as prosperous, though. Between 2003 and 2007, Gallant notched a 56-76-4 record while failing to qualify for the postseason. 

Now headed to the NHL's newest franchise, Gallant will be tasked with crafting a brand-new roster and building it into a contender. 

Gallant and Golden Knights general manager George McPhee will take a major step toward building that squad between June 18-20, when the NHL's expansion draft is slated to take place. 

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