Former Rangers, Panthers head coach reportedly set to try his luck outside the NHL after falling short of Stanley Cup

Sometimes a change of scenery is all a player needs in the NHL to find his game back. The same can be true for head coaches. According to reports, a former bench boss of the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, among others, is now embarking in a new challenge far away.

Over the years, NHL fans have seen plenty of players leave the league for a time, hoping to return in better shape down the road. It’s a risky, yet sometimes rewarding, recipe. Now, a head coach will be taking that route.

Gerrard Gallant’s NHL coaching career speaks volumes, yet it’s missing the most coveted trophy in his cabinet. Now, it may take a while before Gallant has a shot at the Stanley Cup again.

Starting fresh

According to reports from insider Pierre LeBrun, the 61-year-old manager is headed to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The official announcement is expected later this week, but the coach who last worked in Manhattan during the 2022-23 NHL season is now Russia-bound.

Head coach Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights takes questions during a news conference following the team’s 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on October 27, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wasn’t to be, at least so far

Gallant has been in the NHL coaching carousel for quite some time as he had his first stint in 2003 at the helm of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was fired in 2006, after missing the playoffs in the two full seasons he spent in Ohio. Gallant returned to a head coaching position in the 2014-15 campaign, when he took over behind the Florida Panthers‘ bench.

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After being fired from the Panthers just two years after his appointment, Gallant signed for the expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, in 2017. He led the Knights to a Stanley Cup Final during the franchise’s debut season, but lost to the Washington Capitals. That was as close as he ever got to Lord Stanley, but Alex Ovechkin and company threw a wrench on his works.

In 2022, Gallant guided the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Blueshirts fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After much uncertainty about his future, Gallant, who hasn’t coached since 2023, has now embarked on an expedition into uncharted territory in the Motherland.