Gallant back behind an NHL bench

Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Gerard Gallant is heading back behind an NHL bench.

Fresh off helping Team Canada win an impressive (and somewhat unexpected) gold medal at the IIHF World Championship, Gallant is reportedly joining the New York Rangers as their new head coach.

Gerard Gallant's four-year contract with the New York Rangers believed to be worth around $3.5 million a year.@TSNHockey @TheAthletic

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 15, 2021

The former Saint John Sea Dogs bench boss has not been in the NHL since the 2019-20 season when he was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Along with the Golden Knights, Gallant was previously the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. He was an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens after leaving the Sea Dogs at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Gallant seems like a perfect fit for the Rangers - a young team with a lot of skill looking to make the jump from rebuilding to contending over the next few seasons. A lot of QMJHL followers will certainly be keeping on eye on how Gallant uses Alexis Lafreniere moving forward.

While he wasn't coached by Gallant, the Rangers feature former Sea Dogs forward Julien Gauthier. Current Sea Dogs head coach Greg Gilbert, meanwhile, won a Stanley Cup with New York in 1994.

Gallant coached the Sea Dogs for three seasons from 2009-2012, leading the team to three Maritime Division championships, three QMJHL final appearances, two President Cup titles and a Memorial Cup championship. The Summerside native was named the CHL coach of the year in 2010 and 2011.

Now the big question: will Mike Kelly be joining Gallant on Broadway? The two have become a package deal over the past decade and recently worked together at the world championship.