Veteran coach Gerard Gallant is stepping away from work to focus on his health.
Gallant has left the Shanghai Dragons for health-related reasons, the KHL club said Tuesday.
“Following consultations with (club) medical staff and club management, head coach Gerard Gallant has made a decision to step down from his position in order to fully focus on his health and overall well-being,” the Dragons said in the statement.
The 62-year-old native of Summerside, P.E.I., was hired to coach the Dragons last summer. The Dragons are the lone Chinese club in the KHL, which also has 19 teams in Russia, one in Belarus and one in Kazakhstan.
Previously, Gallant was a head coach of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers.
His best year came in 2017-18, when he guided the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final and was given the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
Gallant also has won a Memorial Cup and two QMJHL championships as coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs.
As a player, Gallant suited up for 615 career NHL games.
