Rangers coach Gerard Gallant and Lightning coach Jon Cooper have developed a strong friendship over their years behind NHL benches.
Now that the two are squaring off on opposite sides of the Eastern Conference final, they have made a point to express their respect and admiration for each other. Part of that is due to the time they spent coaching together at the World Championships with Team Canada.
“Me and Coop got together, I think it was in 2017, at the World Championships,” Gallant said Thursday at MSG Training Center ahead of Game 2 on Friday night at the Garden.
Gallant was Cooper’s assistant in that 2017 tournament, in which Canada finished runner-up, losing to Sweden 2-1 in the championship game.
“We had a great experience over there, three weeks together,” Gallant said. “We had lunch together every day, dinner together. So you get to know a guy real well. We had a lot of fun over there and enjoyed it and coached together. Since that time, we’ve been pretty good friends. Obviously, texting each other a lot and I’ve been congratulating him a lot on winning championships. That’s great for him.
“And when we won the World Championship last year, he kept texting me. It’s great when you got a guy like that and friendship. Obviously, we both want to win real bad in this series. But friendships are great to have around the league with people like that. He does a great job coaching them.
“They had some tough years when they lost four straight when they were the favorite to win the Cup one year against [Columbus]. They were tough years and tough building years and he paid his price and the last two years, he’s been very successful. He’s done a great job.”
Prior to the Rangers’ series-opening win over the Lightning, Cooper said Gallant was the first person he went to when he was creating his coaching staff for the international tournament.
“You’ve got your acquaintances, you’ve got your friends, you’ve got everybody and then you’ve got guys that you text with on a regular basis. He’s one of them,” Cooper said. “Just how much respect I have for him and what he does, basically what a hell of a guy he is. Just down to earth, straight shooter.”
Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point has resumed skating after missing the entire second round with a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 of the opening round against the Maple Leafs.
Cooper said he would “temper expectations” of Point returning to the Lightning’s lineup in this series against the Rangers, but he wouldn’t rule it out entirely.
Read More: Gerard Gallant, Jon Cooper share mutual respect, admiration