Gerard Gallant is now officially the head coach of the New York Rangers.

The Rangers announced the move on Wednesday, with the 57-year-old Gallant reportedly receiving a four-year contract.

"Gerard's proven track record has made him one of the league's most sought-after coaches, and we are fortunate to have him as part of the team," Rangers owner James Dolan said in a statement. "I have no doubt that he will play a critical role in helping us take the next steps to building a championship-caliber team."

Gallant owns a career record of 270-216-4-51 in 541 games as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets (2003-07), Florida Panthers (2014-17) and Vegas Golden Knights (2017-20).

Gallant was the first coach of the expansion Golden Knights and led them to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season in 2017-18. The Washington Capitals won in five games.

He was fired 49 games into his third season when Vegas was 24-19-6, and he had an overall record of 118-75-20 with the Golden Knights.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury thinks Gallant is a good fit for the team.

"His vast experience and success behind the bench at several levels make him the ideal choice to lead our team on the ice," Drury said in the news release.

Gallant recently coached Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship in Latvia. He led Canada to its 21st title, beating Finland 3-2 in the June 6 final.

Gallant played 11 NHL seasons and had 211 goals and 269 assists (480 points) in 615 games with the Detroit Red Wings (1984-93) and Tampa Bay Lightning (1993-95).

New York finished in fifth place in the East Division with a 27-23-6 record in 2020-21.

The Rangers fired David Quinn, 54, who compiled a 96-87-25 record during his three seasons as coach.

--Field Level Media