Golden Knights fire Gallant, hire DeBoer as replacement

The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Gerard Gallant on Wednesday and replaced him with former San Jose Sharks bench boss Peter DeBoer, the team announced.

Gallant led Vegas to a surprising berth in the Stanley Cup Final during the franchise's inaugural campaign in 2017-18 and was awarded the Jack Adams Trophy as coach of the year. The Golden Knights then lost to the Sharks in a wild Game 7 of the first round last season, in which an infamous botched officiating call kick-started San Jose's improbable comeback win.

With 54 points through 49 games of 2019-20, the Golden Knights don't currently hold a playoff spot in the Western Conference. However, they trail the Arizona Coyotes by just three points for the lead in the crowded Pacific Division.

Gallant and the Golden Knights were actually discussing a contract extension earlier this season, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

"In order for our team to reach its full potential, we determined a coaching change was necessary," Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Wednesday. "Our team is capable of more than we have demonstrated this season."

While Vegas may be lower in the standings than many expected, the team boasts some of the best underlying numbers in the league, suggesting it's been the victim of some bad puck luck.

More specifically, the Golden Knights rank top five in Corsi For percentage, scoring chances for percentage, high-danger scoring chances for percentage, and expected goals for percentage at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. Meanwhile, the league's fourth-worst PDO (shooting percentage plus save percentage) has been a major factor in the club's underwhelming record.

In a strange twist, Gallant was set to coach the Pacific Division squad at the NHL All-Star Game later in January, but the league announced Thursday that he'll be replaced by Arizona Coyotes bench boss Rick Tocchet.

Gallant's firing marks the seventh coaching change in the NHL this season.

Golden Knights assistant coach Mike Kelly was also relieved of his duties on Wednesday.

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

DeBoer, who's been hired to replace Gallant, was fired by San Jose earlier this season after leading the team to a 15-16-2 record. In his four full seasons overseeing the Sharks, he made the playoffs every year, which included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 - where San Jose lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins - and a berth in the Western Conference Final in 2019, where the Sharks fell to the champion St. Louis Blues.

"In Peter DeBoer, we have a proven, experienced head coach who we believe can help us achieve our ultimate goal," McCrimmon said. "We are excited to welcome Peter and his family to the Vegas Golden Knights organization. We look forward to a strong finish to the 2019-20 season with Peter at the helm and a successful tenure in the seasons to come."

DeBoer has also made stops in Florida and New Jersey during his coaching career. He led the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.

Ironically, DeBoer and Gallant got into a spat last season during the playoffs. DeBoer called out Gallant for chirping his Sharks players, and Gallant responded by calling DeBoer a "clown."

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