CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Listening to Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon speaking at Wednesday’s news conference about the firing of head coach Gerard (Turk) Gallant and assistant Mike Kelly was just plain sickening.
“I had a feeling, a hunch or gut feeling that changes should be made now,” said McCrimmon, who talked about the success the Golden Knights had in the first three years of operation and gave the audience the impression he had played a major role in the drafting of key players on the Las Vegas roster.
The one person most responsible for the Vegas success is without question Gerard Gallant. It was Gallant’s knowledge of the NHL and the respect he had with players throughout the league that brought top players like former Panthers forward Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith to Las Vegas as both had played their hearts out previously for Gallant. In Florida in 2015-16, Gallant and GM Dale Tallon led the Florida Panthers to their second divisional title in franchise history but Tallon moved upstairs during the off-season and Tom Rowe became the new GM. After an 11-10-1 start, Rowe axed Gallant and Florida hasn’t made the playoffs since. As for Rowe, we have no idea where he is.
On the other hand, Gallant moved to Las Vegas and set a pro sports record for wins by an expansion team, making it all the way to the Stanley Cup final, unprecedented success for an expansion team.
Gallant has had a distinguished NHL career as a player and head coach and any reasonable person would have thought he was set for a long run in Las Vegas. He and Kelly did not deserve this fate.
At the time of the firing, the Knights were three points out of first place in the Pacific Division and very much looked like the conference’s best team on most nights. Granted the team had lost four straight games, but in pro sports – with long schedules like hockey, basketball and baseball – there are ups and downs during the season, ebbs and flows in the campaign. They were 4-6 in their past 10 games as the goaltending and scoring had slipped, but when the Golden Knights brought their A game they were as good as any team in the West.
McCrimmon has been with Vegas since 2016. He had no NHL experience but coached and owned the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings. How McCrimmon was able to get control of this franchise and get the ear of the owners is hard to imagine. Where was former GM George McPhee when this behind the scenes treachery was taking place? It is no coincidence the next two games after the Gallant firing were against two of the worst teams in the East in Ottawa and Montreal. Had Gallant stayed and the Golden Knights won, they’d be back in first place.
Make no mistake, this decision was no rush job, it was a planned hockey assassination.
Gallant is supposed to be coaching the Western team in the upcoming NHL all-star game, which should make for an embarrassing night for the Vegas crew. With friends like McPhee and McCrimmon, who needs enemies? I hope McCrimmon meets a similar fate as did Florida’s Tom Rowe.
Don’t think this is the last you hear of Gallant. I predict Gallant will land in Detroit in the off-season with former linemate Steve Yzerman, who is now the Wings GM, and they’ll grow a Red Wings contender once again. Yzerman is a friend unlike the other two Vegas traitors.
Hockey
The Charlottetown Islanders conclude their two-game, back-to-back homestand tonight at 7 p.m. against the Cape Breton Eagles. The visitors have loads of talent with Egor Sokolov, the talented six-foot-four Russian who was a standout at the recent world juniors, plus Ryan Francis, who has 57 points in 40 games and played in Thursday’s top prospects game, Tyler Hinam, Shawn Boudrias, Shawn Element and new captain Derek Gentile.
It seems that it was only a decade or so ago that we watched Dunstan Carroll star in the Maritime junior hockey ranks but he told me at the UPEI-UNB game the other night that his North Dakota Fighting Sioux will hold a 40th reunion of their winning the NCAA crown in 1981. While at North Dakota, Dusty played on a line with Dave Tippett, head coach of Edmonton Oilers, and others from that team who went on to the NHL included Troy Murray, Craig Ludwig and James Patrick.
Harness racing
Live harness racing continues today at 12:30 p.m. with a 13-dash card at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park. The $3,000 feature goes in Race 13 and Creepin leaves from the outside Post 7. Others, from the rail out, include Midnight Matt, He’s Marvelous, Jetster, Pictonian Storm, Winter Blast and Rockin Indy. Collective Wisdom and Drivinthedragon look like the best in the six-horse $2,500 open mares, which goes in Race 13.
Lee Drake sent along the Red Shore financials for 2019 and they are impressive. The handle soared on the live and simulcast.
At Mohawk Raceway tonight, Kevin Harvey’s Lisburn (Louie Philippe Roy) leaves from Post 7 in Race 11 for a $21,000 purse. The Rev, who won at Mohawk last week, increased his lifetime bankroll to $590,000, most ever by a Maritime-bred pacer and all of it was earned for owners Jeff, Bob and Jean Skinner.
Thursday at Mohawk, trainer and owner Andrew More showcased Springbrook Jim, a three-year-old by Big Jim, who impressed in winning a $16,000 conditioned race for driver James MacDonald in 1:54:4.
Pigskin picks
Here’s a look at Sunday’s NFL championship games.
Tennessee Titans (9-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) – A number of football fans are pulling for Titans receiver Kalif Raymond, who was cut nine times, twice each by Denver, New York Jets, New York Giants and Tennessee before finally being signed by the Titans off the practice squad. He scored his first TD last week against Baltimore. The Titans are seven-point road dogs and they should be following K.C.’s awesome comeback against Houston last week. It’s one game and the Titans have a much tougher defence than Houston, plus the Sherman Tank running back Derrick Henry. I like KC to cover.
Green Bay Packers (13-3) at San Francisco 49ers (13-3) – The 49ers pounded the Packers in the regular season. At home, the 49ers will win easily, no contest.
Fred MacDonald's column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected].
