"I am very excited to be working with Mike again," Gallant said. "We enjoyed success in both Florida and Saint John, and I am eager to bring that success to the Golden Knights. Mike is a great guy with a wealth of hockey knowledge, and I couldn't be happier with the decision to bring him to Las Vegas."
Kelly, 57, who also served as an assistant with the Vancouver Canucks from 2007-08, is the first assistant hired by the Golden Knights.
"We are very proud of the addition of Mike to our team's coaching staff," McPhee said. "His experience as a coach at various level within professional hockey and as a recent assistant coach under Gerard with the Panthers made him a well-rounded candidate. His familiarity with Gerard's coaching style and practices will make this a seamless transition for our club."
The Golden Knights, who have signed two players (forwards Reid Duke and Vadim Shipachyov), will fill out the rest of their roster in the coming weeks. The 30 other NHL teams must submit their list of protected players for the NHL Expansion Draft by 5 p.m. ET on June 17. The Golden Knights will be given the lists at 10 a.m. on June 18 and will have until 10 a.m. on June 21 to submit their selections, which will be announced at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 21 (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN). Vegas must select one player from each team to fill a roster of at least 14 forwards, nine defensemen and three goalies, with a minimum of 20 players under contract for the 2017-18 season.
