It’s playoff season in the NBA and NHL, which means as teams fall short of their expectations, coaches have to answer questions about job security.
The New York Rangers were knocked out by the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the NHL Playoffs this season, failing to live up to their Stanley Cup aspirations after making it to the Conference Finals last year. Despite the early exit, head coach Gerard Gallant has no interest in fielding questions about his job security.
“I can’t believe I have to answer some of these questions about me getting fired, brought up by the media. Disappointing.”
– Gerard Gallant pic.twitter.com/MLNMqgTAqz
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 3, 2023
“I can’t believe I have to answer some of these questions about me getting let go or getting fired, brought up by the media. Disappointing,” Gallant said during his final press conference with reporters this week. “If I can’t stand by my record and what I’ve done, I think there’s something wrong.”
The question Gallant responded to was, “How do you reflect on your second season here personally?” But Gallant was also clearly responding to some of the rumors about his job status.
Despite Gallant’s angst over the topic, it’s a legitimate question. The Rangers made it to the Conference Finals last season, and after bolstering their roster at the trade deadline, they were eliminated in the first round this year. Maybe Gallant is experiencing some flashbacks after losing his job under similar circumstances with the Vegas Golden Knights. Gallant led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season, followed that up with a first-round exit, and was subsequently fired halfway through year three.
If Gallant isn’t worried about his job status with the Rangers, then he shouldn’t have an issue fielding or dismissing questions about his job status. Instead, Gallant sounded oddly defensive, which makes it seem like he is concerned about his future with the team. But if Gallant feels the need to defend his position, he should be making his case to general manager Chris Drury and not the media, regardless of the headlines he’s seeing.
