REPORT: Senators interview Gallant

QMI News Agency is reporting that the Ottawa Senators have interviewed the Saint John Sea Dogs’ Gerard Gallant about their current head coaching vacancy.

From the Toronto Sun:

Add the name Gerard Gallant to the list of candidates who have interviewed for the Senators’ coaching vacancy.

And in doing so, consider that Phase 1 may, in fact, be over.

In Binghamton for the Calder Cup final between his AHL affiliate team and the Houston Aeros, Senators GM Bryan Murray confirmed Thursday that he has had sit-downs with “five or six” men in search for Cory Clouston’s successor.

He also said he’d like to make the hire by the middle of June.

“Not many, if any,” Murray stated, when asked the number of applicants he still needs to meet for first interviews. “I’ll go back over a couple of guys maybe, then go forward. Hopefully, in a short period of time, a week or two, I’ll make a decision.

“My objective is to try to get it done, sooner than later. Whatever that means, I’m not sure. It doesn’t have to be done before the draft, but for my sake, as well as the coach’s sake, it would be nice to do something before the draft.”

The Sun also reports that “Craig MacTavish, Paul MacLean, Kirk Muller, (Dave) Cameron and, when the AHL final is over, Kurt Kleinendorst” are all Murray’s list of interviewed coaches.

Gallant, who guided the Sea Dogs to back-to-back appearances in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to go along with a President’s Cup and Memorial Cup win, has previous NHL coaching experience with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders.

After winning back-to-back Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year awards, Gallant’s name was expected to be tossed around with so many coaching vacancies in the NHL this off-season.

Last summer, ‘Turk’ was rumored to be a candidate for the Tampa Bay Lightning position because of his relationship with general manager Steve Yzerman.