Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Firing no concern to Cats
BOSTON — The firestorm around the Florida Panthers surprising dismissal of coach Gerard Gallant last week continued to spread across the NHL landscape this weekend when commentator Don Cherry called it “the worst firing in the history of the world.”
Cherry, a former coach of the Boston Bruins and co-host of Coach’s Corner during CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcast, went on a long tirade directed at Panthers’ management for the manner in which they fired Gallant, a Jack Adams coach of the year finalist last season after directing Florida to a franchise-best 103-point season and Atlantic Division title.
“I knew they were in trouble — first of all they got an American guy down there … a West Point guy,” Cherry said, referring to Panthers owner Vinnie Viola. “So he surrounds himself with Army guys, and now he knows everything about hockey. It’d be the same thing if Gerard told him how to fight a war. He knows nothing about hockey.”
Cherry then railed about the Erik Gudbranson trade.
“I knew they were in trouble when Dale Tallon was out of the country and they traded one of my favorites, a 6-foot-4 eatthem-raw defenseman, for Jared McCann. I like McCann, but he’s in the minors right now.
“They give away a defenseman like that and it’s absolutely ridiculous that [Viola] makes his money at whatever he does like that, an Army guy, surrounded himself with American Army guys, and then fired a guy like Gerard. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Gudbranson has struggled in Vancouver and owns a minus-13 ice rating, third worst in the NHL.
Panthers co-assistant general manager Eric Joyce told the Sun Sentinel after a light practice Sunday afternoon at TD Garden that he has the “utmost respect for Cherry’s contribution to the game” but defended the organization’s decision to fire Gallant with the team at 11-10-1.
“It was a tough decision for everyone involved,” Joyce said. “I respect Don’s opinion on the matter when he’s talking about Gerard being a good coach and good man, but at the end of the day, we moved in a different direction.”
Tom Rowe, the Panthers general manager who took over for Gallant on an interim basis, refused to get into a debate with Cherry.
“I’m not worried about Don Cherry and am not worried about what’s being said,” said Rowe, who has guided the Panthers to a 1-1-1 mark since taking over. “The only thing I’m worried about is to make sure we win a lot of hockey games and get to the playoffs. We’re not listening to all the noise and what’s being talked about outside.”
Rowe said after the firing that there was a “philosophical divide” between Gallant and the organization, adding that Gallant wanted more size in his lineup.
Joyce, a native of Boston who still maintains his family residence in nearby Belmont, wanted to clarify the situation.
“Because of the emotional nature of sports, it sometimes turns into more of a popularity contest than a business,” Joyce said. “At the end of the day, it’s about accountability and results. When money continues to grow, and owners have to bridge the gap between revenue and expenses, they want to make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction.
“It was clear for some time that there was some philosophical differences between a good coach, a great guy and our organization.’’
Rowe wanted to make it clear that he had no intentions of coaching the Panthers when he was promoted to GM last May.
“I’m loving coaching again,” Rowe said. “It wasn’t planned, and I know a lot of people thought it was. That’s a bunch of garbage. I came here to help in the front office, and then this happened.”
Nearly lost in the 2-0 loss to the Senators Saturday night was Panthers forward
leaving the ice during a third-period power play with a lower-body injury.
Marchessault, arguably the best free-agent bargain in the NHL, leads the Panthers with 10 goals and 19 points in 25 games, already one point past his careerhigh accomplished last season with the Lightning in 45 games.
Jonathan Marchessault