As the start of the season nears, we’re seeing an increasing number of Montreal Canadiens flock back to town and return to the CN Sports Complex in Brossard, on top of those who have been there all summer. Ivan Demidov, Nick Suzuki, Patrik Laine, Noah Dobson, and Juraj Slafkovsky are all in town already and regularly skating on the south shore.

One player we’ve not seen skate over there lately is alternate captain Brendan Gallagher. Why hasn't the 33-year-old returned to town yet? Well, judging by his wife Emma Fortin’s Instagram account, the Gallaghers have a good reason to be in Vancouver, the right winger’s younger brother was getting married on August 29.

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To say the Gallagher family has been on a rollercoaster of emotions this past year would be an understatement. The player and his wife welcomed their first kid, a daughter called Everly, and months later, his mother lost her battle with cancer.

The lifelong Canadien is about to enter the fifth year of his six-year deal, and with 834 NHL games under his belt, he could technically reach the 1,000-game mark, although he would have to remain healthy and play all 82 games this year and 84 games next year. While he played a complete season last year, it was the first time since the 2018-19 season that he had accomplished the feat.

This year, he’ll be chasing several milestones, just like he was last season. With 834 games played as a member of the Tricolore, he’s in 20th place for most games played with the franchise. Providing he stays healthy all year, he would have 916 games by the end of the season, which would be the 12th highest total in team history, just ahead of Guy Carbonneau’s 912 and just one short of Serge Savard, who has skated in 917 games with the Habs.

With 239 goals, he’s currently the 15th most productive sharpshooter in team history, and it’s conceivable that he could climb up all the way to 10th overall in front of Mario Tremblay if he has as good a season as last year. In the assists department, he’s 39th with 225, and he could climb up that ladder this year as well.

He’s also the 27th highest scorer in team history with 464 points, and he could potentially catch up to Vincent Damphousse, who sits in 25th place with 498 points. Last year, Gallagher obtained 38 points, so it’s not out of the realm of possibilities, although he may not have as much ice time this season, but that’s a topic for another day.

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