Vegas Golden Knights tab Gallant as first coach

Kicked off the bus by the Florida Panthers in November, Gerard Gallant has packed his bags for Las Vegas to take over as the first coach of the NHL expansion Golden Knights.

Kicked off the bus by the Florida Panthers in November, Gerard Gallant has packed his bags for Las Vegas to take over as the first coach of the NHL expansion Golden Knights.

“I interviewed in mid-January and when I got the interview I felt real comfortable coming in here. I interviewed for a day and a half, and it was an unbelievable experience. When I left, this was the job I wanted,” Gallant said Thursday at his introductory news conference.

General manager George McPhee cited Gallant’s experience and past success in announcing the hiring following what he called an extensive search of candidates.

“I know how he coaches, I know all about his reputation. He has an outstanding reputation and knows how to get the best out of players,” McPhee said. “He is an experienced coach, has had success at multiple levels and has a great reputation amongst the players who have played for him. Experienced coaches are usually better with their second team. That was our goal.”

Gallant joins the Golden Knights some five months after being unceremoniously fired by the Panthers immediately following a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes at Carolina. Gallant’s luggage was removed from the team bus outside the arena and he eventually had to take a taxi while the Panthers left him behind to continue their road trip to Chicago.

Hitchcock returns

The most successful coach ever for the Dallas Stars is back, more than 15 years after they fired him.

Ken Hitchcock, who led the Stars to their only Stanley Cup championship in 1999, was re-introduced in Dallas. He replaces Lindy Ruff, whose four-year contract expired at the end of the season and wasn’t extended after the team missed the playoffs.

When Dallas fired Hitchcock in January 2002, he had won 277 of his 503 games over parts of seven seasons in his first NHL head-coaching job. He led the Stars to five straight division titles, with consecutive Western Conference championships in 1999 and 2000. Those are the only times he or the Stars have made it to the Stanley Cup Final.