The Associated Press

DURHAM, N.C. - Gerard Gallant was appointed coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, nearly six months after he took over on an interim basis.

Gallant led Columbus to a 16-24-4-1 record after replacing Doug MacLean on Jan. 1. The Blue Jackets finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference last season.

MacLean, the Blue Jackets' president and general manager, also said Dean Blais had been hired as associate coach.

Gallant joined the Blue Jackets on July 18, 2000, and served as an assistant for 3 1/2 seasons before becoming interim head coach.

"Gerard Gallant has the potential to be a real good coach," MacLean said outside a general managers' meeting at the NHL draft. "He has limited head coaching experience, but he's got qualities we really like in a head coach."

Gallant spent 11 years in the NHL as a player, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings. He said he relished the coaching opportunity.

"We have a good young team that is ready to turn the corner and I am really excited about being a part of the great things to come," he said in a statement.

Blais spent the last 10 seasons as the head coach at the University of North Dakota.

CANADIENS: Canadiens coach Claude Julien received a long-term contract from the team after leading it to its best regular-season record in 10 years last season. The Canadiens went 41-30-7-4 for 93 points and reached the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay.

Montreal general manager Bob Gainey declined to discuss the length and terms of the deal.

Julien's contract was set to expire July 1.

STARS: Dallas traded goaltender Jason Bacashihua to St. Louis for the rights to defenseman Shawn Belle.

Belle was the Blues' first-round selection in the 2003 NHL entry draft. He scored nine goals and had 20 assists in 55 games last season for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League.

Bacashihua was the Stars' first-round selection in the 2001 entry draft. He played in 39 games with Utah of the AHL last season.

Miscellaneous

STEROID PROBE: A judge ordered federal prosecutors to investigate whether the government leaked grand jury transcripts in which sprinter Tim Montgomery testified he used performance-enhancing drugs.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston, presiding over the case of four men accused of distributing steroids, demanded that the men's defense attorneys and their clients also sign sworn declarations that they did not illegally release the transcripts to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published some of Montgomery's testimony Thursday.

"I'm curious to know how that got there," Illston said during a fiery hearing in which prosecutors and defense lawyers pointed fingers at one another.

The Chronicle did not report where it obtained what it published.

Area sports

BASEBALL: The Florence Freedom suffered their ninth setback in a row Friday, losing 11-7 at Richmond. Four Florence pitchers combined to issue six walks, three wild pitches and a hit batter, helping the Roosters to a three-run seventh without benefit of a hit.

James Morrison (0-2) took the loss as the Freedom fell to 10-24.

GOLF: Middletown's Alex Martin won the Ohio Golf Association's Juniors this week, and Cincinnati's Brian Kohn finished fourth in the tournament held at Wetherington Golf & Country Club. Martin shot an 8-under par 136 to lead the field. Kohn shot a 2-under 142.