Darryl Sutter would vote for Gerard Gallant to win Jack Adams
Gerard Gallant was named the a finalist for the Jack Adams Award on Thursday. It will be the third time in his career where he’s been up for the award. He took home the honor during the 2017-18 season as head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights.
“It’s an honor,” Gallant said after an optional skate at PNC Arena. “Being out the last two years, the team’s been excellent this year, we’re a young team, so it was definitely an honor being in that group. When you look at the top ten teams there are a lot of good coaches. For me anyone of the ten could’ve been nominated and had a chance to win.”
Darry Sutter would vote for Gerard Gallant
Gallant is up against the Florida Panthers’ Andrew Brunette and Calgary Flames’ Darryl Sutter.
When Sutter was asked about being nominated, he spoke plainly.
“I’d rather see young guys win it, quite honest,” Sutter said. “Or guys that maybe got a raw deal somewhere like a guy like Gerard (Gallant). Got a raw deal in Florida, got a raw deal in Vegas. I know who I’d vote for.”
Sutter is referring to Gallant’s unceremoniously being dismissed by the Panthers in 2016. After a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, he was fired. He was then asked to remove his luggage off the team bus and get his own taxi to the airport.
Gallant was once again let go by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, after guiding them to a Stanley Cup Final appearance during their inaugural season.
When he was told about Sutter’s endorsement Gallant said, “I think he feels sorry for me for all the times I got fired.”
Gerard Gallant made the Rangers believe in themselves
Gallant, 58, led the Rangers to a 52-24-6 mark for 110 points in his first season with the team. Those numbers were good for second most wins (52) and third highest points (110).
He joins Alain Vigneault (2014-15), John Tortorella (2011-12), Tom Renney (2005-06), Roger Neilson (1989-90, 1991-92), and Fred Shero (1978-79) as Rangers coaches to receive a nomination. If he wins, he will be the first Rangers coach in history to take home the honor.
“When I got here I knew it was a talented group, a skilled group, there was a lot of young guys,” Gallant said. “All I tried to do with our coaching staff is to get them to believe in themselves and play the game the right way.”
Ryan Reaves, who was with him in Vegas when he won the Jack Adams spoke about his coach today.
“You look at what he did first year in Vegas and his first year here and how many guys have career years under him,” Reaves noted. “He takes a team that wasn’t in the playoffs last year and we were fighting for first in the division. No surprise to me.”
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