The Florida Panthers fired coach Gerard Gallant on Sunday night and general manager Tom Rowe will assume the coaching duties, according to a source.
The move was made Sunday night after the Panthers' 3-2 loss at Carolina. The Panthers fell to 11-10-1 through 22 games, good for only 10th in the Eastern Conference, but just two points out of a wild-card playoff berth.
Gallant confirmed via text that he and longtime friend and assistant coach Mike Kelly had been fired.
Phone calls to Rowe, assistant co-general manager Steve Werier and president of hockey operations Dale Tallon haven't been returned. Bill Torrey, the Panthers special advisor to Rowe and alternate governor, was unaware of the changes as he was tending to a personal matter.
Florida next plays Tuesday night in Chicago, the second game of a six-game trip for the reigning Atlantic Division champions. Gallant _ a coach of the year finalist last season _ was 96-65-25 in parts of three seasons with the Panthers.
Gallant, 53, was hired by Tallon on June 21, 2014 and given a two-year extension last season.
He had been an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens the previous two seasons. He served as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets for parts of three seasons (2003-04, 2005-07), compiling a 56-76-4-6 record with no playoff appearances.
In his first season guiding the Panthers in 2014-15 Gallant directed them to a 38-29-15 mark, a league-best 25 point improvement from the previous season. Last season under Gallant, the Panthers notched franchise records in win (47) and points (103) while winning their first Atlantic Division title. However, they lost a first-round playoff series in six games to the New York Islanders.
Despite the successful season, Tallon who built the young, talented team via the draft, was promoted to president of hockey operations. Rowe, who Tallon had hired to coach the then Panthers' AHL affiliate in Portland, was promoted to assistant general manager at midseason last season.
Rowe took over the GM job after the Panthers' playoffs series against the New York Islanders. Steve Werier and Eric Joyce, who specialize in analytics and salary-cap issues, were made co-assistant general managers. They surprisingly remade the winning roster, bringing in at least 10 new players.
The slow start this season can be partly attributed to incorporating all the new players into the system, but mostly due to serious injuries to top-nine forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen.
Panthers owner Vinnie Viola has made it abundantly clear that reaching the playoffs is no longer the team's primary objective, but winning the Stanley Cup as soon as possible was his preseason mandate.
Rowe, 60, who has never been a head coach in the NHL, has been a head coach in the AHL for six-plus seasons and for two seasons in the KHL (Russia). Apparently, goalie coach Robb Tallas and assistant coach Scott Allen, as well as associate coach Dave Barr will remain with the team.
