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Coach Gerard Gallant leaves KHL team for health reasons

By Thomson Reuters Jan 12, 2026 | 1:26 PM

Former NHL head coach Gerard Gallant left his KHL team and returned to Canada due ‍to health reasons, TSN reported on Monday.

Gallant, 62, had been the head coach of the Shanghai Dragons since August. He has been battling an ‌illness and consulted with team ‌doctors and management before opting to step away for the rest of the season to focus on his health, per ​the report.

Gallant, who won the Jack Adams Award as the ‍NHL’s coach of ​the year in 2017-18, coached ​in the NHL with four teams ‍over 11 seasons between 2003 and 2023.

He has a record of 369-262-70, plus four ties, with the Columbus Blue Jackets (2003-07), Florida Panthers (2014-17), Vegas ‍Golden Knights (2017-20) and New York Rangers (2021-23). He led expansion Vegas to the Stanley ‍Cup Final ‍in 2018, losing to ​the Washington Capitals in ​five ⁠games.

A forward, Gallant played 11 ‌NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings (1984-93) and Tampa Bay Lightning (1993-95) and accumulated 480 points (211 goals, 269 assists) and 1,674 penalty minutes in 615 games.

–Field ⁠Level Media