Gallant Inducted Into Hall

Last night at the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Golden Puck Awards, former Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.

As a league press release notes, Gallant “is the only member in QMJHL history to win the President Cup four times in his combined roles of player (2) and head coach (2). As a hockey player with Sherbrooke in 1982 and then in 1983 with Verdun, Gallant would taste the joy of the championship series.”

Also from the league release:

In 2009-10, he made a comeback in the QMJHL, this time as head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs (New Brunswick). The team won three consecutive regular season titles. In addition, Gallant’s team won the grand final of the playoffs in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, the Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup as Gallant could count on a talented brigade including Jonathan Huberdeau, Stanislav Galiev, Jacob DeSerres, Nathan Beaulieu and Simon Després. 

Therefore Gerard Gallant has maintained in the regular season, the best career winning percentage for a coach in the QMJHL (.791). Unsurprisingly, he twice won the Ron-Lapointe Trophy, awarded to the coach of the year, at the end of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.

Gallant, of course, is currently an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens. The QMJHL website has an article on him here.

Jean-Luc Phaneuf, Norman Caisse, and Patrice Brisebois were also inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Today, the host city for the 2015 Memorial Cup will be announced. That is between Quebec City and Chicoutimi. Also, the team that will select first overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft will be determined. That is between Saint John and Sherbrooke and will take place around 12:45 PM AST.