For many USPORTS hockey players, their dreams of playing professionally ended upon their enrolment in post-secondary education. However, for McGill’s Zach Gallant, the dream is still alive.
Hailing from Oakville, Ontario, the Redbirds’ forward had a rather unorthodox path to McGill. Prior to being picked fifth overall in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft by the Peterborough Petes, Gallant was set on going to play National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hockey in the U.S., as the prospect of playing professionally was still up in the air.
“I had just come off shoulder surgery [heading into the draft],” Gallant told The Tribune. “Going into that season was the first time I really trained in the summer so I felt really good [and] I played [for Ontario] in the Winter Games that year, and we won gold. [….] I really wanted to go to college, but being drafted so high kind of put me on the trajectory to play in the NHL.”
The decision to play for the Petes proved to be the right choice as the Detroit Red Wings drafted Gallant 83rd overall right before he graduated high school in 2017. Following the Red Wings’ development camp, the team elected not to sign him, prompting Gallant to head back to the Petes for his first season as captain in 2018-19. Unfortunately, seven games into the season, Gallant suffered another injury that required ankle surgery. Having only played 30 games that season, Gallant elected to play in the Eastern Coast Hockey League (ECHL) so the Red Wings could get a better look at his playing style. So, Gallant played four games with the Toledo Walleye before heading back to the Petes for his final year in the OHL.
“The Coast [ECHL] is a real big grind,” Gallant said. “You travel a lot, you don’t really live in the best apartments, you’re not making a ton of money, and that’s when I originally applied to McGill [….] But lucky enough, in the summer, I had gotten an invite to [the] San Jose [Sharks’] development camp, and they offered me a deal after that camp, which kind of changed my trajectory.”
Gallant then signed an entry-level deal with the Sharks in 2019 and headed back to Peterborough to play in his final year of eligibility with the Petes while enrolling in a few courses at Trent University to jump-start his degree. However, Gallant’s final season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was just such a killer,” said Gallant. “We were really good. Mason McTavish was on pace for 30 goals as a 16-year-old, Nick Robertson scored 55. We had a lot of buzz.”
With school being pushed online, Gallant enrolled at McGill in 2020 while playing in the American Hockey League with the San Jose Barracuda.
“The players are just so good,” Gallant explained. “The difference between guys playing the AHL and the NHL is so slim. I really didn’t love the travel aspects of being on the road all the time, and being at the rink and then being at home, so I thought it was time to mix it up and go to school.”
Prior to the 2023-24 McGill hockey season, Gallant was sidelined for 18 months between his last game with the Barracudas and his first game with the Redbirds. In accordance with the USPORTS rules, athletes that play professionally must sit out a season prior to becoming eligible.
But this year of ineligibility did not hinder Gallant’s positive McGill experience. Despite being on the older side as a 24-year-old U3 student, Gallant has enjoyed his time studying finance and accounting, and the journey of returning to the life of being a full-time student.
Gallant is planning to graduate in 2025 with one remaining year of eligibility, and is not quite sure what the future holds for him.
“I still think I want to be an athlete and play hockey because I won’t be able to do it forever,” Gallant concluded.
Whether that means playing in North America or Europe, Gallant is open to any path that will keep him in the game.
