In a shocking turn of events, the Vegas Golden Knights relieved Head Coach Gerard Gallant of his duties following game one of their current eight-game road trip. It has been a bad year for coaches, as Gallant's firing makes him the seventh bench boss to be ousted this season.
An in-season coaching change is shocking enough, but the Golden Knights decided to up the ante, in typical Vegas fashion. Upon firing Gallant, the team immediately named his successor. Peter DeBoer, the recently dismissed coach of the rival San Jose Sharks, was named his replacement, sending Golden Knights fans into mass hysteria. Below are a few of the best reactions from the aptly named, Medieval Maniacs.
Overreaction?:
first game tonight without gallant as our coach https://t.co/C7iQd07EkD
A personal favorite of mine, best of luck Gerald:
Gerald Gallant got screwed in Florida and in Vegas. Hope he gets another shot soon as he has done great things as a Head Coach.
Solid Step Brothers Reference:
416 votes and 39 comments so far on Reddit
A Facebook user in the group Vegas Golden Knight BEaST Fan Group posted this gem:
First-year General Manager Kelly McCrimmon made a bold move here. Regardless of job title, a few other men surely would have had to sign off on the move. Despite what most fans believe, President of Hockey Operations/former GM George McPhee and owner Bill Foley clearly gave their blessing. McPhee has detailed a decision-by-committee working order in past press conferences.
Speaking of press conferences, McCrimmon was made available to the (road) media at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. McCrimmon said, “In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary. Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season".
That quote stands out above the rest. Yes, highlighting DeBoer's past successes are important, but this is the reason for the move. Both McCrimmon and McPhee worked to construct a roster they thought would be dominant. Whether they are correct in assuming that is another question entirely, but it makes this move logical.
Currently, the Golden Knights are right in the thick of the Pacific Division playoff race. Sounds good, correct? Upon deeper digging, one can deduce that the Pacific Division is one of two things. The division is either very bad, with a leader nearly 10 points behind the next closest division leader. Or two, the Pacific is so tightly matched the Golden Knights have been unable to separate themselves from the pack.
Pacific Division Standings (as of 1/16):
Arizona Coyotes: 26-18-5, 57 points *
Edmonton Oilers: 25-18-5, 55 points *
Calgary Flames: 25-18-5, 55 points *
Vancouver Canucks: 25-18-4, 54 points *
Vegas Golden Knights: 24-19-6, 54 points
San Jose Sharks: 21-23-4, 46 points
LA Kings: 18-25-5, 41 points
Anaheim Ducks: 17-24-5, 39 points
* Denotes team in playoff position
Rightfully so, the Golden Knights front office felt great after trading for the services of Max Pacioretty, signing Paul Stastny, and making a blockbuster trade-and-extend deal for Mark Stone at the 2019 trade deadline. A full season with that dominant trio, should have brought far more success than it has thus far. Instead of dominating, the Golden Knights are simply holding serve, with one of the best top-six forward groups in the league.
"I think we need to hear this message loud and clear, turn things around and be better."
-Marc-Andre Fleury (via Golden Knights PR)
Many questions stem from this surprising lack of production.
- Were things getting stale?
- Was Gallant the wrong man for the job?
- Even though the players love playing for the man, was he still effective?
- Was their initial success because of him or in spite of him?
- Is DeBoer going to be able to mend fences and lead this group?
When looking at the change specifically, a few things stand out. DeBoer coached against the Golden Knights, in a heated rivalry until Dec. 10. He knows the team very well and even more importantly, knows how to beat the team. His Sharks defeated the Golden Knights in seven games, during the opening round of the 2018-19 playoffs.
He and Gallant exchanged words on numerous occasions, none more polarizing than the time Gallant referred to DeBoer as "a clown". Their teams hated one another and they had more than a few physical games, with some extracurricular activities. They've also gone through the whole #NotAMajor fiasco and that resentment still resonates within the fanbase.
It will not be an easy transition for DeBoer. He's going from the hated rival coach to the guy replacing the beloved, Day One coach in Gallant. This fan base has an uncanny love for Gallant and the only sure-fire way for DeBoer to win them over is quite simply, to win. His first hurdle will be winning over the locker room and seven more games on the road gives him that chance.
He is a good coach, with a proven track record of winning. He has yet to win the big one, a Stanley Cup, but he has consistently gotten his talented teams to the playoffs. He's inheriting a team loaded with talent up front and even has some sprinkled throughout the defense corps.
Until this season, DeBoer's Sharks teams have improved each season, dating back to 2015-16.
2015-16: 98 points, .598 points %
2016-17: 99 points, .604
2017-18: 100 points, .610
2018-19: 101 points, .616
Gallant's Golden Knights teams have slipped each season, which is not especially difficult considering just how good that inaugural team was. The front office worked to get bigger talent, bigger names yet the team continues to struggle. For whatever reason, Gallant has been unable to extract the most from this group, sans Pacioretty and Reilly Smith who are in the midst of career years.
A change needed to be made. Surprisingly, the change wasn't to the roster or personnel. With DeBoer at the helm, it will be interesting to see what a former competitor diagnoses as the team's problems. Line changes and even AHL recalls could be in the Golden Knights' future. Nicolas Roy, an impressive up-and-down AHL player, was recalled on Wednesday evening, potentially at the request of DeBoer.
"We want to compete for the Stanley Cup. If we want to have that opportunity, we're going to have to start playing better. That starts tomorrow."
-Mark Stone (via Vegas Golden Knights PR)
February 8 will be DeBoer's first home game at the T-Mobile Arena. He and the team will have plenty of time between now and then to get to know one another. A win at home will go a long way for DeBoer, in the eyes of the Vegas fanbase. This writer is most excited to see a change on the practice rink, where the same old drills have been going strong since 2017.
Gallant did some great things. He brought the Golden Knights within three wins of a Stanley Cup in year one. He endeared himself to a new fan base in a bat-shit crazy city. He took a team of self-proclaimed misfits, to heights they never imagined. His legacy will be forever cemented in Vegas hockey history, but all good things come to an end at some point. He and Assistant Coach Mike Kelly are no longer with the club and it's full steam ahead for the remaining Vegas Golden Knights.
Lost in the pandemonium is the fact that there may have been a better option available. Peter Laviolette was recently relieved of his duties in Nashville and has a track record of both winning and great offensive teams. With a struggling offensive unit in Vegas, Lavy may have been able to wake up the group of talented forwards. That would go a long way in making up for the makeshift defense corps the Golden Knights have been deploying of late. Laviolette, like Gallant, may have been falling on deaf ears after years of unquestioned success, a normal occurance for hockey coaches.
DeBoer is expected to immediately join the team in Ottawa for Thursday night's game. The team will operate on autopilot for that one and no big system changes should be anticipated. It will be strange to see DeBoer behind the Golden Knights bench, but - and hold onto your pants now- it could very well be the move the Golden Knights needed.
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