Concord teen maps the way to San Jose

By Stephen Tobey — Correspondent

Many young athletes dream of representing their country in international competition, playing at the Division I college level, or making it to the pros. 

Concord’s Richard Gallant, who turned 18 this past spring, has already realized the first dream. This fall, he’ll fulfill the second. He’s also well on his way to realizing the third one in a few short years.

The San Jose Sharks this summer selected the 5-foot-8, 170-pound forward with the 210th pick in the seventh round of the NHL entry draft. The team will retain his rights as long as he has college eligibility or the team releases or trades him. 

Attending the Sharks’ development camp in San Jose “was really fun — a great experience,” said Gallant, who will play for Harvard University this season. 

In camp, Gallant went through tests for strength and mobility, did on- and off-ice training, and wrapped up by playing in a scrimmage.

“There were 30 of us out there. I knew three or four of the other guys. We met the staff and spent a lot of time learning how they do things,” he said.

Three-sport athlete

Gallant has lived in Concord with his family since 2014. He played youth lacrosse and soccer in town. He attended the Nashoba Brooks School and the Fenn School. He spent his first two years of high school at St. Mark’s School in Southborough before he was selected for the USA Hockey National Development program.

His journey from Fenn to St. Mark’s to Harvard and, he hopes, eventually the NHL, retraces that of a fellow Concordian. Ian Moore, who debuted with the Anaheim Ducks in the spring after finishing his career at Harvard, also attended Fenn and St. Mark’s.

That parallel path is no coincidence.

“His older brother, Nolan, played with my older brother, Mark, on the Minuteman Flames,” Gallant said. Ian Moore, he said, “is such a good person, the kind of person you want to be around. He made me want to go to St. Mark’s.”

The process that earned Gallant a spot in the USA Hockey National Team Development program began during his freshman year at St. Mark’s.

“I went to a camp in Buffalo, New York, with 300 other players,” he said. “They followed us for the next two seasons and picked 40 of us for a tryout camp and selected 24 of us for the team.”

Based in Detroit, the National Development Team plays in the USHL. In the 2023-24 season, Gallant tallied three goals and 12 assists in 40 games. Last season, he scored 23 goals and had 22 assists in 57 games. 

In the two seasons he was with the team, he played in five international tournaments, notching 11 goals and 14 assists in 26 games.

Tourney points

At the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship in Frisco, Texas, he helped the team earn the bronze medal, with five goals and one assist in seven games. He also earned a spot on the all-tournament team.

“You want to win the gold, but you can only do so much,” he said. “It was great that we got to play in the United States and have our friends and family go to the games.”

Gallant is spending the summer preparing for his first season at Harvard. He committed to the school in August 2023 after considering Boston University, Boston College, and the University of Michigan. 

What’s waiting for him after his final game with the Crimson gives him all the incentive he needs to continue his growth as a hockey player.

“The better I do at Harvard, the better chance I’ll have of doing well for the Sharks,” he said.