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Gallant officially becomes Blue Jackets head coach
By MARGARET LILLARD, Associated Press Writer
Jun 25, 2004 - 2:39:00 PM

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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) -- Gerard Gallant was appointed coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, nearly six months after he took over on an interim basis.

Gallant led Columbus to a 16-24-4-1 record, replacing Doug MacLean on Jan. 1. The Blue Jackets finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference last year.

MacLean, the Blue Jackets' president and general manager, also said Dean Blais had been hired as associate coach.

Gallant joined the Blue Jackets organization July 18, 2000, and served as an assistant for 3 1/2 seasons before becoming interim head coach.

``Gerard Gallant has the potential to be a real good coach,'' MacLean said outside a general managers' meeting at the NHL draft. ``He has limited head coaching experience, but he's got qualities we really like in a head coach. I interviewed a number of top coaches and I just didn't feel there was a big enough difference to make a change.''

Blais spent the last 10 seasons as the head coach at the University of North Dakota, where he won two NCAA championships and five Western Collegiate Hockey Association titles.

``I'm absolutely thrilled to get him. He's a great fit for Gerard, a young coach with limited head coaching experience,'' MacLean said. ``Dean's probably the most qualified head coach outside the NHL.''

Gallant has plenty of NHL experience. He spent 11 years in the league as a player, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings. He said he relished the opportunity.

``We have a good young team that is ready to turn the corner and I am really excited about being a part of the great things to come,'' he said in a statement.

The Blue Jackets feature a young lineup that includes 20-year-old Rick Nash, who shared the goal-scoring lead in the NHL with 41.

Blais finished the 2003-04 season with the highest career winning percentage of any active NCAA Division I coach at .679 with a 262-115-33 mark during his 10 years at North Dakota. He led the Fighting Sioux to NCAA championships in 1997 and 2000 and a second-place finish in 2001.

Last season, Blais guided UND to a 30-8-3 record and took the Sioux to within one game of the Frozen Four, losing to eventual national champion Denver 1-0 in the West Region final.

MacLean also said Gord Murphy will return as assistant coach and Rick Wamsley is back as goaltending coach.


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