Since Sheldon Keefe took the fall for yet another Toronto Maple Leafs early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Boston Bruins, all eyes have been on the city to see who will get the head coach role. Yesterday, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox reported on X (Formerly Twitter) that one of the possible candidates, Gerard Gallant, had not been interviewed yet. Meanwhile, according to Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Craig Bérubé has been interviewed for the position.
There’s never a dull moment in Toronto.
Gallant’s Playing Career
A native of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Gallant spent 11 seasons playing at left wing in the NHL. He split his time between the Detroit Red Wings (nine years) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (2 years) with whom he signed as a free agent. After playing with the Lightning, he signed with the International Hockey League’s Detroit Vipers. His career was unfortunately cut short when he was forced to retire after only three games because of a serious back injury. He played 615 games in the NHL gathering 480 points and 1674 penalty minutes.
Gallant’s Coaching Career
Three years after pulling the plug on his playing career, Gallant jumped on the coaching horse. He started at the bottom of the ladder as an assistant with the Fort Wayne Komets in the IHL. The next season he was an assistant coach with the American Hockey League’s Louisville Panthers. Then, he got his first NHL job behind a bench with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant. He stayed in the role for three years before being appointed head coach in 2003-2004. He was the Blue Jackets’ bench boss for parts of three seasons before being dismissed. He then acted as an assistant with the New York Islanders.
Beginning in 2009, Gallant spent three seasons controlling the Quebec Major Junior League’s (as it was then called) Saint John Sea Dogs, where he had great success. His team lost in the final in his first season behind the bench but won the league’s championships for the next two seasons. He also led his men to a conquest of the Memorial Cup (the Canadian championship) in his second season at the helm (2010-2011). In that same campaign, he was named QMJHL coach of the year.
In June 2012, he returned to the NH as an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens who had hired Michel Therrien as the head…
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