SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Call it a misunderstanding, a little trickery or whatever you want but it led to Guardian sports columnist Fred (The Fiddler) MacDonald writing a book about one of P.E.I.’s most beloved individuals and sporting personalities.
“Turk” features Gerard (Turk) Gallant’s journey from a kid living in Summerside to the bright lights of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a player and coach and stops along the way.
“It’s a funny story, actually,” Gallant told The Guardian in an interview at Credit Union Place in Summerside on Nov. 18. “About two years ago, when I was still (head coach) with the (New York) Rangers, Freddie mentioned one day he’d like to see a bunch of my photo albums when I was a youngster. My parents saved the photo albums from about the time I was six years old until the time I was coaching in the NHL.
“I brought him down seven or eight. At the time, I thought it was for a Fiddler’s edition of The Guardian.
“Three months later, I come back and get the photo albums and he says, ‘I’m all done with them. I don’t need them anymore.’
“He said, ‘There’s some good pictures in there for the book’ and I said, ‘What book are you talking about?’
“He said, ‘Your book’ and I said, ‘Oh, OK, that’s right’ and we carried on and that’s how it really started.”
MacDonald acknowledged he may have tricked Gallant into doing the book.
“By accident, I said, ‘Turk, I’m going to do a story,’” said MacDonald. “I meant a book story like the book we have now, and Turk thought it was Fiddler’s Facts (in The Guardian) on Saturday morning.
“He and I got some information and Turk was waiting and wondering when it was going to be coming out in Fiddler’s Facts.”
Launch
A sold-out book launch will take place at Credit Union Place in Summerside on Nov. 20. Some highlights include a meal, a hot stove discussion and Turk trivia. Gallant and MacDonald will also be signing books at the Bookmark in Charlottetown on Nov. 23 from noon to 2:30 p.m.
When asked if there was anything in particular that led to the book, MacDonald answered Gallant’s story is one that needed to be told.
“The success Turk and (his longtime assistant coach) Mike Kelly had in their coaching careers, it’s unbelievable,” said MacDonald. “I said we have to get it done. I talked to my wife and said, ‘Gail, do you want to put some extra work in?’
“She didn’t mean two years… It started out Gail said to me one Sunday morning, ‘This is Turk Gallant final draft No. 1.’
“Then there was Turk Gallant final draft No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5… I forget how many and Gail said, ‘This is harder than having a baby.’”
Voices in book
MacDonald talked to several of Gallant’s friends and former coaches for the book. One photo in the book features Gallant and longtime friend and supporter Forbie Kennedy of Charlottetown with the Jack Adams Trophy. Gallant was named the NHL’s coach of the year in June 2018.
“Jack Adams was the guy who suspended Forbie two or three times when he was first up (playing) in Detroit for staying out late at night,” said MacDonald. “So, if Jack Adams saw the picture in this book, he would turn over in his grave.”
Gallant’s playing and coaching careers, his life, family and grandkids are featured in the book.
“It’s sort of where I’ve been, where I’ve coached and have done over my career as a player and a coach, and a lot about my friends and family in Prince Edward Island.” – Gerard (Turk) Gallant
“It’s sort of where I’ve been, where I’ve coached and have done over my career as a player and a coach, and a lot about my friends and family in Prince Edward Island,” said Gallant.
Softball, golf
MacDonald added the book also features stories from Gallant’s softball-playing days and, of course, golf.
“We touch base on pretty well every aspect,” said MacDonald.
This was not the first time the idea of writing a book was suggested to Gallant.
“A lot of people have mentioned that, but I didn’t really think about that,” said Gallant. “The only time it crossed my mind was I thought maybe when I’m all done but, hopefully, I’m not all done. Maybe Fred knows more than I do.”
Gallant said his goal is to return to the NHL.
“Definitely, I want to get back and I want to be an NHL head coach,” said Gallant, who has been away from coaching for the last 18 months after parting ways with the New York Rangers in May 2023.
Gallant and MacDonald have met numerous times over the last 18 months talking and going over details for the book.
“Fred’s done a lot of work on it and a lot of people have done a lot of work,” said Gallant. “It turned out pretty good and I’m pretty happy with that… It’s been a lot of fun.”
MacDonald had a lot of fun working on the book and said while Gallant is pleased with it now, he will really appreciate it in 20, 25 years’ time.
“It’s great now but it will be even more special when his grandkids are old enough to read it and understand everything he accomplished,” said MacDonald.
Career
Some highlights of Gerard (Turk) Gallant’s hockey career:
- Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the sixth round, 107th overall, in the National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft in 1981.
- Played more than 600 games in the NHL with Detroit and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Named to the NHL’s second all-star team for the 1998-89 season after recording a career-high 93 points.
- Won a silver medal as a player with Team Canada at the 1989 world hockey championship.
- After retiring as a player in November 1995, Gallant returned to his hometown of Summerside, P.E.I., and Western Capitals head coach Gerard Smith encouraged him to begin helping out with the junior A team.
- Gallant eventually took over as head coach and coached the Capitals to the 1997 RBC Cup in Summerside. The Caps, who also won the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) title that season, became the first team east of Ontario to win the Canadian junior A hockey championship.
- Won a gold medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2007 world men’s hockey championship.
- Won a gold medal with Team Canada as head coach at the 2021 world men’s hockey championship.
- Coached the Saint John Sea Dogs to back-to-back Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) championships in 2011 and 2012. The Sea Dogs also won the 2011 Memorial Cup.
- In the NHL, served as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens.
- As an NHL head coach, Gallant guided the Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers.
- Gallant was named NHL coach of the year in 2018 after guiding the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup final.
Jason Simmonds is a sports editor with The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on X @JpsportsJason.
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