One Year Ago, the Florida Panthers Fired Gerard Gallant

[joestevens29]

Rowe took something that wasn't broke and broke it. Most knew it at the time and now that Vegas is doing so well it makes things look that much worse.

 

[Chief Nine]

They didn't. This was fake news. He didn't want to wait for the car they called him.

Interesting. Do you have a link to a story that show this? Seems like it was a generally accepted story.

 

[StrangeVision]

I love being a Panthers fan.

 

[RainingRats]

Interesting. Do you have a link to a story that show this? Seems like it was a generally accepted story.

Sure, take a look below. It's a great example of media folks in the social media age rushing to push a narrative before getting all the facts.

Gerard Gallant says post-firing taxi photos 'blown out of proportion'

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

It's not always about stupid decisions. Sometimes a situation gets stale and needs a change. Sometimes a coach just isn't reaching a particular group.

Sure some coaches suck. Sure sometimes a coach is fired needlessly.

But not always.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's not always about stupid decisions. Sometimes a situation gets stale and needs a change. Sometimes a coach just isn't reaching a particular group.

Sure some coaches suck. Sure sometimes a coach is fired needlessly.

But not always.

Huh? Gallant led the Panthers to the best record in franchise history, and their first playoff run since 2012. He was two months into the season before he was relieved. He wasn't fired because he wasn't reaching a particular group. He was fired because of meddling fools disagreed with the coach and he didn't see eye-to-eye with them.

Have you not read about the reasons behind his firing?

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Huh? Gallant led the Panthers to the best record in franchise history, and their first playoff run since 2012. He was two months into the season before he was relieved. He wasn't fired because he wasn't reaching a particular group. He was fired because of meddling fools disagreed with the coach and he didn't see eye-to-eye with them.

Have you not read about the reasons behind his firing?

Re reading my post, I realize I wasn't clear. My bad ... a bit distracted.

I was mostly playing devils advocate and saying that it not always a stupid move to fire the coach.

In this case, sure, it was a little ridiculous.

 

[Chief Nine]

Sure, take a look below. It's a great example of media folks in the social media age rushing to push a narrative before getting all the facts.

Gerard Gallant says post-firing taxi photos 'blown out of proportion'

Amazing how that narrative became “fact” when it was as far away from the truth as can be. Good to know that wasn’t the case, he’s too good of a person to be treated like that. Thanks for the link @RainingRats!

 

[bodechek]

Does anyone know what happened to Tom Rowe? Was he fired?

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

Does anyone know what happened to Tom Rowe? Was he fired?

He's a special consultant inside the organization.

 

[glovesave_35]

From the story in the link provided in the OP.

Panthers owner Vincent J. Viola released a statement Monday saying, "In seeking to earn a second consecutive playoff berth and bring a Stanley Cup to South Florida, we believe that new leadership is required immediately."

I will never understand comments like these or the rationale behind them. You have an organization that has made the playoffs 5 times in 23 seasons. Only twice since the season-long lockout of 2004-05, and 4 more before that. And in those 5 playoff appearances the team has made it past the 1st round once, when they had that magical run to the SCF before getting trounced by the Avs.

This isn't a team or organization that should have ever felt compelled to fire their coach a quarter of the way into the season directly following their only playoff appearance in a four year span. Stanley Cup?! Panthers fans can't have believed that sentiment. That comment in the quote above is analagous to a war lord from the Congo saying he is going to take over the world. The number of steps needed to get from point A to point V for victory is humongous. Crawl before you walk. Gallant was at least getting his team to do that before he was canned.

There may be worse run franchises in the league but when I think of the definition of below average NHL organization, I think Florida. And that sucks for Panthers fans.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

They fired him with more wins than losses in regulation, also the team made the playoffs and first in the division. That's the funniest part about it. It was a good fit at first because of Jonathan Huberdeau and him with the Sea Dogs and the Memorial Cup they won together.

And when he came to Montreal, they were in second place in the eastern conference, the following season lost in the conference finals to New York. When he headed to Florida, he took them on a good record even though they didn't make the playoffs.

Also, the sad thing is Columbus barely gave him a chance, he had nothing to work with when starting out there, just Rick Nash which wasn't a whole lot.

My choice for coach of the year this season.

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

Rowe took something that wasn't broke and broke it. Most knew it at the time and now that Vegas is doing so well it makes things look that much worse.

It was actually Eric Joyce and Steve Werier who ran the team last year and spearheaded the Gallant firing. Joyce was demoted back to AHL GM and Werier was fired from his hockey role (he's an accountant). Rowe was just a bad coach.

 

[barkovcanfinnish]

The Panthers would probably be a financially successful hockey team if our front office wasn’t full of neanderthals for most of our existence.

Then again, there’s some Panther fans who believe he’s a mediocre coach. I find that funny, considering he helped our team have our most successful season ever along with the huge success Vegas is having this year.

I hate the way we let him go. It was absolutely ridiculous and I’m happy he’s doing well for himself in Vegas.

I’m just salty that it’s not with us.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Every game I've seen from Vegas they looked pretty well coached to me. That sounds easy when you're winning but to take an expansion roster and do what they've done, that's gotta sting if you're a Panthers fan. Firing him made zero sense. I feel for Panthers fans. As a Leafs fan I know all too well about horrible owners who think they're experts, incompetent management and bad draft picks.

 

[cowboy82nd]

You can also thank Tallon for giving Gallant, March and Smith for a 4th. Those two guys have certainly helped Vegas get to where they are.

Tallon didn't fire Gallant. That was all Rowe.

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

From the story in the link provided in the OP.



I will never understand comments like these or the rationale behind them. You have an organization that has made the playoffs 5 times in 23 seasons. Only twice since the season-long lockout of 2004-05, and 4 more before that. And in those 5 playoff appearances the team has made it past the 1st round once, when they had that magical run to the SCF before getting trounced by the Avs.

This isn't a team or organization that should have ever felt compelled to fire their coach a quarter of the way into the season directly following their only playoff appearance in a four year span. Stanley Cup?! Panthers fans can't have believed that sentiment. That comment in the quote above is analagous to a war lord from the Congo saying he is going to take over the world. The number of steps needed to get from point A to point V for victory is humongous. Crawl before you walk. Gallant was at least getting his team to do that before he was canned.

There may be worse run franchises in the league but when I think of the definition of below average NHL organization, I think Florida. And that sucks for Panthers fans.

"In seeking to earn a second consecutive playoff berth and bring a Stanley Cup to South Florida, we believe that new leadership is required immediately."

That would be Tom Rowe! And a bunch of the ownership's buddies! Who wouldn't think that those guys scream "the real Stanley Cup leadership"?!

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Goofus make poor personnel decisions that hurt his team in the long run.

Gallant is now the head coach of one of the top teams in the NHL.​

This is excellent

 

[John Price]

Vegas says thanks brother

 

[RustyCat]

Incredibly dumb decision at the time, and quite evident today that it will remain one of the most puzzling moves in recent memory. Florida is a mess and I can't imagine why someone would want to be an employee under that time of management. Good on Gallant and other Panthers for flourishing right now

 

[icerocket]

Atleast the Panthers dont have the idiotic requirement that the coach has to speak French.

 

[Rorschach]

What if McPhee had Gallant as his coach in Washington instead of BB? Maybe he doesn't feel the need to make desperate moves like Forsberg for a bag of pucks.

 

[Revelation]

Wait this whole time I thought the guy managing Panthers was Tim Roth and the owners gave him leeway to make horrible decisions because they were starstruck by his Hollywood career. Now I see it's just some old bald guy named Tom Rowe... how did he get enough power to overtake Tallon and tank the franchise.

 

[ijuka]

The whole firing also was extremely unprofessional.

And I just hate that pretentious advanced stat corsi nonsense they kept using as their "philosophical difference" between them and Gallant.

Adjusted 5v5 corsi has VGK at #13 in NHL and Panthers at #22. And how much better are VGK's players as individuals in "advanced stats and corsi", exactly?

Gallant completely overachieved the season before and wasn't even having a horrible season when they fired him.

 

[WolfgangPuck]

Barring some major collapse with Vegas missing the playoffs , Gallant going to win coach of the year