Gerard Gallant being hired as New York Rangers head coach

The New York Rangers are hiring Gerard Gallant as the team’s head coach, the team announced on Wednesday.

It’s the second major decision for newly appointed general manager Chris Drury, who replaced general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson after the organization surprisingly turned over the previous front-office regime at the conclusion of the regular season.

The first choice for Drury came last month when he chose to fire David Quinn, the former Boston University coach who lasted three seasons in New York, and his three assistants.

Gallant, 57, first became an NHL head coach in 2003 with the Columbus Blue Jackets and helmed the Florida Panthers for two-plus seasons between 2014-17.

He became the first coach in Vegas Golden Knights history and took the team to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, winning the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year. He led the team to the playoffs the following season before he was fired in January 2020.

“His vast experience and success behind the bench at several levels make him the ideal choice to lead our team on the ice,” Drury said.

Gallant never has lasted more than three seasons leading a team.

Most recently, he led Team Canada to the 2021 IIHF World Championship title.

Gallant will be charged with leading a young yet talented Rangers core from the rebuilding stage into contention. The Rangers advanced into the extended postseason “bubble” format in 2020 but haven’t won a playoff game since 2017.

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rangers hire Gerard Gallant as coach