From being a Jack Adams award finalist to fired in less than a year, Gerard Gallant may have had one of the worst swings in NHL coaching history. He just took a moribund franchise to the playoffs for the first time in a decade plus and he has now been shown the door by the Florida Panthers.
What exactly did he do to deserve such a firing?
To put it simply, Gallant was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tom Rowe, the current general manager of the Florida Panthers, is an analytically minded person and according to multiple reports, the two were butting heads repeatedly.
As the Panthers continue to move towards being the poster children of hockey analytics, the move shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The team is slightly under performing to their standards and they have been ravaged by injuries and that provided an opening to make that firing with somewhat of a justification.
People have noted all over the media that this was a move concerning the process of the franchise. They were perfectly fine with the results last year but they want a consistent person behind the bench that can optimize the team on a nightly basis to their front office’s liking.
Doing this when they did is not going over well with anyone in the hockey community as Gallant is one of the more well-liked coaches in the league. That factor shouldn’t go into any decision making when running a business, but it has many justifiably upset with the firing.
As if this night wasn’t any more bizarre, Gerard Gallant is currently waiting at the PNC loading dock for a cab to pick him up.
— Canes Country (@CanesCountry) November 28, 2016
Gallant was extended under previous management when Dale Tallon was in control of the front office. Gallant is the last piece to make the switch over to analytically competent complete. It may put people around the league at odds with the Panthers, but they may already be on an island alone with their decision making.
If the Panthers are successful, this will only be remembered as a blip on the radar. Fans in Sunrise, Florida better hope as much.
