There are plenty of reasons for local hockey fans to watch the San Jose Sharks.
This June, “Team Teal” — which boasts former Hockey East stars Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) — added two more, including rounding out their 2025 draft class by selecting St. Mark’s and U.S. National Team Development Program graduate Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) in the seventh round.
Small in stature (5-foot-8, 169 pounds) but speedy on the wing, Gallant believes that it’s a perfect match.
“They were one of the teams that I thought would draft me, to be honest. I talked to them more than any other team, and my agent said we were going to push hard for San Jose,” said Gallant, who is advancing his career to Harvard later this summer. “It was very special to be selected by them.”
After experiencing his special draft day moment at his Massachusetts home on June 28, the Sharks made Gallant feel right at home as he attended Development Camp the following week.
“Everyone there was very kind and just wanted me to feel a part of the organization like everyone else was,” he said. “They told me, ‘You’re a smaller player, but we think you’re very, very talented. That’s why we picked you.’ There are a lot of all-around good people there. It was a great experience.”
Gallant’s Under-18 season at the NTDP was one of growth.
After overcoming a long-term, lower-body injury that limited him to 40 games in 2023-24, the winger broke out for 29 goals and 53 points while posting a plus-21 rating in 66 games this past season. He says it marked the first time in his career that he scored more goals than assists.
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Ahead of the season, Gallant set out to score between 25 and 30 goals and generate two or three quality shots on net per game.
“I think my awareness around the net has grown the most,” Gallant said. “When I was growing up and playing in high school, I was never really a (pure) goal scorer, but this year I just really harnessed that awareness around the net to score more. … I knew if I was going to (reach that goal), I was going to have to develop my touch, develop my skating, develop everything really.”
Former University of Maine standout and now-NTDP coach Greg Moore (Lisbon, Maine) had a front-row seat to watch Gallant’s development over the past two years.
Moore saw Gallant playing at his best against the Under-18 squad’s college-level competition, proving that he is ready for the college level and has a game that can translate even higher.
“He did a great job. I thought he produced at a regular rate,” Moore said. “In the heavy college games that we played early in the season, he scored the most of anybody on our team. He certainly proved to the hockey world as a 17-year-old that he can still produce and be productive and play winning hockey against older men.”
Gallant also feels that being a younger player in the uber-competitive New England prep ranks before joining “The Program” helped contribute to his success this past season.
He learned those lessons while playing two successful St. Mark’s seasons under coach Carl Corazzini (Framingham, Mass.).
“As a true freshman, you’re going against people that are 18 or 19 years old,” Gallant said. “It’s an aspect of the game that you get to become more comfortable with when you’re playing in that league. You’re able to find your game and be confident in yourself. It doesn’t matter how big and strong other guys are. If you’re confident in yourself and play your game, you’ll be fine.”
Before the chance to wear a Sharks sweater comes, though, Gallant is readying for his next step up in level, as he’s set to play for longtime coach and former NHLer Ted Donato at Harvard.
The Crimson have produced no shortage of pros in recent years, including another local native and St. Mark’s product: defenseman Henry Thrun (Southboro, Mass.), who began his NHL career with San Jose over the past two-plus seasons.
“There’s a lot to learn from playing against the best guys in your age group. You have to show what you’re worth every day,” Gallant said. “I think that’s going to be a really helpful experience, and I’m excited for this next opportunity to prove myself on a new level (in college) and be a part of a great program.”
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In the long run, Moore knows that Gallant has found a great home in San Jose.
“Being picked by San Jose right now is a really positive thing for any player because they’re rebuilding and they’re looking for young talent to give opportunity to,” Moore said. “It’s great for Richard to be in an organization that’s looking to feed their system, so he just needs to stay on the path that he’s been on, which is getting better every day and focusing on the process.”
