Gerard Gallant never won a Stanley Cup during his nine seasons as a scrappy, goal-scoring forward with the Detroit Red Wings. Twenty-two years after playing his final game, Gallant is four wins away as a coach from the most improbable championship in NHL history, perhaps in all four major pro sports.
Gallant's expansion Vegas Golden Knights face the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final, which starts tonight.
It has been an amazing run for the city's first major pro franchise - from a 109-point season and Pacific Division championship to a 12-3 postseason run on the way to the conference title to, incredibly, home-ice advantage and the favorite's tag in the Cup Final.