The New Jersey Devils reportedly interviewed Gerard Gallant, and the potential addition would have a massive impact on the franchise.
The 2019-20 NHL regular season and the New Jersey Devils’ underachieving campaign seems like a distant memory at this point.
Let’s not forget that Tom Fitzgerald began the season as the team’s assistant general manager, and before Thanksgiving found himself earning the title as an “assistant coach” on the team’s bench.
Seriously, that happened.
Now, Fitzgerald is the one calling shots in the front office, and per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday, the interim general manager began interviewing candidates for a new head coach whenever the NHL resumes action.
INSIDER TRADING: #TSNHockey Insiders discuss…
– NHLers skating in Sweden
– #NJDevils interview Gallant; more on other #NHL coaching spots
– Hlinka-Gretzky being cancelled; keeping an eye on other Hockey Canada tournamentsWATCH ?: https://t.co/jRPYSifGLM pic.twitter.com/vlxU1sTya3
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) April 21, 2020
While it might not seem like a surprise that the Devils would replace interim head coach Alain Nasreddine (yes, there are a lot of “interims” with the Devils) this season, it was exciting to hear who New Jersey interviewed.
Former Vegas Golden Knights bench boss, Gerard Gallant, was the name linked to the Devils by LeBrun. The other candidates weren’t mentioned, which leads fans to think that Gallant is the front runner, and rightfully so.
After Gallant was relieved as head coach by Vegas back in January, Devils fans were calling for his name faster than Scott Gomez used to skate end-to-end at Continental Airlines Arena.
Jersey’s faithful fans are running out of patience with an organization that’s clinched one berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2011-12, and it’s time that the Devils hire a coach who offers some experience and a hard-nosed mentality.
Let’s hope that the 2017-18 Jack Adams Award winner is hired to take over New Jersey when hockey is back on the schedule once again.
