Gallant prepared to switch allegiances
Zach Gallant grew up a Toronto Maple Leafs’ fan and he’d love to join the blue and white but he’s also prepared to switch allegiances if another team calls his name at the NHL Entry Draft.
“I’m from the GTA so I’m a big Leafs’ fan,” said the 18-year-old Oakville native and Peterborough Petes’ forward. “It would be awesome to be selected by the Leafs, for sure, but to be selected by any team would be an honour. To have someone to put their faith in you and have the opportunity to make their club one day would be cool.”
Gallant is expected to be the first Petes’ player to be selected at the draft in Chicago Friday and Saturday. He is the highest ranked Pete for the draft clocking in at 64th among North American skaters in the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau rankings and 73rd in the world by TSN analyst Craig Button.
“i’m just excited for the opportunity. To be drafted by any NHL team is an honour. To be selected would be an awesome feeling. I think put myself in a pretty good position to be drafted in a pretty good spot and we’ll see where it goes from there,” said Gallant, who will attend the draft.
The six-foot-one, 184-pound centre had a breakout season recording 21 goals and 26 assists for 47 points and a +4 rating in 60 games. After failing to register a goal in his rookie season, Gallant worked hard in the off-season to make a bigger impact in his second year. He said the fact it was his draft year played a small part in his motivation.
“I wanted to make a bigger impact on the team, first, and from there see what happens,” said Gallant. “In the spotlight of my first year I had to reevaluate everything and find the things I could do on a regular basis to improve.”
Being selected for Team Ontario U16s for the 2015 Canada Winter Games and being the Petes’ firstround pick, fifth overall, that spring, made it real for Gallant that perhaps he could one day play in the NHL.
“To be recognized as one of the better players in your age group in Ontario, especially at 15, is pretty cool,” he said.
Gallant performed well at the recent NHL combine physical testing finishing among the top 10, of 103 participants, in six of the tests including second overall in pull ups. He also ranked 19th in a seventh event. He was also interviewed by 21 of the 31 teams.
“It’s always good to meet the teams. They want to make sure you’re a guy they’d want to draft. In that sense, it was a good thing along with the fitness results, but I’m only 18 and I can get bigger and stronger physically,” said Gallant.
Other Petes ranked include Nick Isaacson at 148 and Cole Fraser at 197. Petes’ GM Mike Oke expects defenceman Matt Timms and forward Nikita Korostelev, who re-enters the draft after failing to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs, to also get consideration.