Sports
Gerard Gallant
born 1963 · ice hockey player and coach
Physical left winger who spent nine of his eleven NHL seasons with the Red Wings, skating on Detroit's top line alongside Steve Yzerman before a long career as an NHL coach.
- Born
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
age 63- Detroit years
- 1984–1993
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Detroit drafted Gallant in the sixth round in 1981, and he broke into the NHL lineup for good in the 1985–86 season, scoring in his Red Wings debut to snap a long winless streak. His career took off once Jacques Demers became coach in 1986, pairing him with captain Steve Yzerman and enforcer Bob Probert on Detroit's top line; despite his small frame, Gallant played a power forward's game, mixing scoring with heavy penalty minutes, and coach Demers said his willingness to fight was the only thing keeping him from a 50-goal season. He finished his NHL career with 211 goals, the vast majority scored as a Red Wing, before retiring in the mid-1990s. Gallant went on to a long career as an NHL head coach, winning the Jack Adams Award in 2018 with the Vegas Golden Knights, and several of his early coaching colleagues and rivals were former Detroit teammates.
Highlights
- Played for the Red Wings from 1984–85 through 1992–93
- Skated on Detroit's top line with Steve Yzerman under coach Jacques Demers
- 211 career NHL goals, mostly scored in Detroit
- Later NHL head coach; won the 2018 Jack Adams Award as coach of the year
- Inducted into the Prince Edward Island Sports Hall of Fame
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1984–1993
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
His home rink for his entire Red Wings career; demolished in 2019.