Early life

Gallant was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. He grew up near a local ice rink, and could be found sweeping the stands with his buddies in exchange for extra ice time. Gallant has had the nickname "Turk" since he was three or four years old. Gallant himself noted that when he first got to the NHL, a lot of the guys also called him "Spuddy" because of Prince Edward Island's reputation as the potato capital of Canada.

While playing for the Summerside Crystals of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League at the age of 16, he netted 60 goals and 115 points in just 45 games.

As a junior, Gallant played for three teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League: the Sherbrooke Castors (1980-81, 1981-82), the St. Jean Beavers (1982-83), and the Verdun Juniors (1982-83). Gallant served as team captain during his final year in juniors.

After his first junior season in 1981, Gallant finished as runner-up to Claude Verret in voting for 1980-81 Michel Bergeron Trophy as QMJHL offensive rookie of the year.

Pro playing career

Gallant was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, sixth round, one-hundred seventh overall.

Gallant made his professional debut with the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League in 1983. At the age of 19, he was the youngest regular on the roster. Spending the full 1983-84 season in the minors, he finished with 31 goals, 64 points and 195 penalty minutes in 77 games.

Gallant split the 1984-85 season between the AHL and NHL, making his Detroit Red Wings debut against the New York Islanders on January 22, 1985. In his first game, he scored against Islanders goaltender Billy Smith in the second period of a 5-4 Detroit victory that snapped a 12-game Red Wings winless streak. In his second game, he fought Rangers forward Bob Brooke.

Gallant opened the 1985-86 season as a full-time regular with the Red Wings. However, in a December 11 game against the Minnesota North Stars, he suffered a broken jaw during a fight with Dirk Graham. Gallant's jaw had to be wired-shut for six weeks, causing him to miss six weeks of games. When he returned, he sported a football-style facemask on his helmet. He ultimately appeared in 52 games, scoring 20 goals with 39 points and 106 penalty minutes. Gallant was part of an unfortunate incident in a November 26, 1986 game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Red Wings in Detroit. During a scrum in front of the Leafs net, Gallant accidentally cut the face of Börje Salming with his skate blade after Salming had been knocked down. The injury required facial surgery and more than two hundred stitches to Salming's face.

Gallant's career took off after Jacques Demers was hired as the Red Wings head coach in 1986. In his next four seasons he averaged 36 goals, 80 points, and 235 penalty minutes. While he never played in the All-Star Game, he was named to the NHL All Star Second Team for the 1988-89 NHL season.

Injuries, mostly to his back, caused Gallant to miss over 30 games over the 1990-91 NHL season. In March of 1991, he was forced to undergo surgery to remove a bone spur from his back, causing him to miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. Gallant returned to the Wings as a full-time regular for the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. He provided his usual physical presence and finished with a +16 and +20 plus/minus rating; however was unable to duplicate his scoring prowess and the Wings did not offer him a contract to return.

On July 22, 1993, Gallant signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played in 51 games with the Lightning in 1993-94 and 1 game in the lockout-shortened 1995 season, along with 16 games with the Atlanta Knights - the Lightning's top farm team in the IHL.

On October 23, 1995, Gallant signed as a free agent with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, and was off to a good start with 2 goals and an assist in 3 games. However, on November 5, 1995, he suffered a career-ending back injury in practice and was forced to retire at the age of 32. Gallant finished his NHL career with 211 goals in 615 games as a leftwinger for the Red Wings and Lightning. He also scored 18 playoff goals.

International playing career

Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Championships
	1989 Sweden

Gallant played for Team Canada at the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships under head coach Dave King. Playing alongside Red Wings teammate Steve Yzerman, Gallant scored 2 goals and had 3 assists in 8 games as the Canadians won the Silver Medal.

Player profile

Despite his smaller stature (5 ft 10 in, 180 lbs), Gallant played the role of power forward during his time with the Red Wings - similar to NHL contemporary Kevin Dineen. Playing on the Red Wings top line alongside star Steve Yzerman and either Bob Probert or Paul MacLean, he was among the team leaders in both goals and penalty minutes. Gallant's 1988-89 line of 39 goals, 54 assists, and 230 penalty minutes was the first of its kind in NHL history (later matched by only Kevin Stevens in 1991-92 and Rick Tocchet in 1992-93). Detroit's coach at the time, Jacques Demers, said he thought Gallant's penchant for fighting was the only thing holding him back from a 50-goal season. Gallant had taken part in 17 fights in 1986-87, 19 fights in 1987-88, and 10 fights in 1988-89.

Gallant was a popular teammate, and served as an alternate captain alongside Bob Probert, Rick Zombo, or Steve Chiasson. He served as acting captain while Steve Yzerman was injured from March 2, 1988, through May 5, 1988.

Former Wings head coach and current Ottawa Senators scout Nick Polano said of Gallant: "He was a tough kid, a tough competitor... and I'll tell you, he was a (expletive) to play against."

Coaching career

Gallant began his coaching career in 1995-1996 with his hometown Summerside Capitals of the Maritime Junior Hockey League, leading the team to the Royal Bank Cup in 1997.

Gallant then moved on to the professional coaching ranks, serving as an assistant coach for the Fort Wayne Komets of the IHL in 1998. He spent the 1999-00 season serving as an assistant for the Louisville Panthers of the AHL.

Gallant then served as assistant for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL from 2001-2004 under head coaches Dave King and Doug MacLean. King had served as Gallant's head coach for Team Canada at the 1989 World Ice Hockey Championships. MacLean had been an assistant coach with the Red Wings in the early 1990s. MacLean, who was also serving as the Blue Jackets general manager, resigned as head coach on January 1, 2004, and named Gallant as his successor. Gallant's assistant position was filled by veteran college hockey coach Dean Blais. Gallant served as the Blue Jackets head coach for the remainder of the 2003-04 season, through the 2004-05 season lost to the NHL lockout, all of the 2005-06 season, and a portion of 2006-07 season. On November 13, 2006, Gallant was fired as head coach and was replaced by assistant Gary Agnew for 5 games. The Blue Jackets ultimately hired Ken Hitchcock as full-time coach on November 22, 2006.

In 2007, Gallant was named by Team Canada general manager Steve Yzerman as one of the 2 assistant coaches for the 2007 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Gallant helped the Canadian team to a championship and gold medal finish.

Gallant joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. The head coach of the Islanders, Ted Nolan, had been a teammate of Gallant's on the Adirondack Red Wings in 1983.

On April 24, 2009, Gallant was named head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. During his three seasons with Saint John, he compiled a 159-34-9 record and led the Sea Dogs to three first-place finishes, three league final appearances, two QMJHL championships (2011 & 2012) and one Memorial Cup (2011). Gallant was also named the QMJHL and Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year twice (2010 & 2011).

On June 15, 2012, Gallant returned to the NHL when he was appointed as assistant head coach with the Montreal Canadians under head coach Michel Therrien. Canadians general manager Marc Bergevin had been a teammate of Gallant's with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1990s.

On June 21, 2014, he was named head coach of the Florida Panthers of the NHL by Executive Vice President and General Manager Dale Tallon. In his first season, he led the Panthers to a record of 38 wins, 29 losses, 5 OT losses, and 10 shoot-out losses for 91 points. The record was an improvement of 9 wins and 25 points over the prior season. In 2015-16, Gallant led the upstart Panthers to a 24-12-4 record at the All-Star break, earning him a spot in the game as the head coach for the Atlantic Division All-Stars.

Personal

Gallant and his wife Pam, are the parents of two children, Melissa and Jason. Daughter Melissa is married to professional hockey player Darryl Boyce. Son Jason played four seasons with the Summerside Western Capitals of the MJAHL and currently coaches youth hockey.

Awards and championships

As a player

• QMJHL All-Star Third Team: 1982-83 (St. Jean-Verdun)
• NHL All-Star Second Team: 1988-89 (Detroit Red Wings)
• Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Silver Medal: 1989 (Team Canada)

As a coach

• Royal Bank Cup: 1997 (Summerside Capitals)
• Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame: Inducted 2001
• Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award: 2009-10 (Saint John Sea Dogs)
• Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Gold Medal: 2007 (Team Canada)
• Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award: 2010-11 (Saint John Sea Dogs)
• QMJHL League Championship: 2010-2011 (Saint John Sea Dogs)
• Memorial Cup Championship: 2011 (Saint John Sea Dogs)
• QMJHL League Championship: 2011-2012 (Saint John Sea Dogs)
• NHL All Star Game Coach: 2015-16 (Florida Panthers - Atlantic Division)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1979-80	Summerside Crystals	MJrHL		45	60	55	115	90		—	—	—	—	—
1980-81	Sherbrooke Castors	QMJHL		68	41	59	100	265		14	6	13	19	46
1981-82	Sherbrooke Castors	QMJHL		58	34	58	92	260		22	14	24	38	84
1981-82	Sherbrooke Castors	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		5	5	3	8	28
1982-83	St-Jean Castors	QMJHL		33	28	25	53	139		—	—	—	—	—
1982-83	Verdun Juniors	QMJHL		29	26	49	75	105		15	14	19	33	84
1982-83	Verdun Juniors	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		4	3	1	4	23
1983-84	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		77	31	33	64	195		7	1	3	4	34
1984-85	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		32	6	12	18	66		3	0	0	0	11
1984-85	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		46	18	29	47	131		—	—	—	—	—
1985-86	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		52	20	19	39	106		—	—	—	—	—
1986-87	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		80	38	34	72	216		16	8	6	14	43
1987-88	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		73	34	39	73	242		16	6	9	15	55
1988-89	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		76	39	54	93	230		6	1	2	3	40
1989-90	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		69	36	44	80	254		—	—	—	—	—
1990-91	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		45	10	16	26	111		—	—	—	—	—
1991-92	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		69	14	22	36	187		11	2	2	4	25
1992-93	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		67	10	20	30	188		6	1	2	3	4
1993-94	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		51	4	9	13	74		—	—	—	—	—
1994-95	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1994-95	Atlanta Knights	IHL		16	3	3	6	31		—	—	—	—	—
1995-96	Detroit Vipers	IHL		3	2	1	3	6		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				615	211	269	480	1674		58	18	21	39	178

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular season							Post season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
CBJ	2003-04	45	16	24	4	1	62	4th in Central	Missed playoffs
CBJ	2005-06	82	35	43	—	4	74	3rd in Central	Missed playoffs
CBJ	2006-07	15	5	9	—	1	73	(fired)	—
FLA	2014-15	82	38	29	—	15	91	6th in Atlantic	Missed playoffs
FLA	2015-16	82	47	26	—	9	103	1st in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
Total		306	141	131	4	30	403		1 playoff appearance

[ Source: Wikipedia ]