Montreal Canadiens veteran Brendan Gallagher had a tough time in the playoffs, but he still looks fondly on his time in Montreal.
As the start of the new NHL season nears, Brendan Gallagher is getting ready to start a season wearing the Vancouver Canucks colors. For 14 years, a new season meant another chance for Gallagher to put on the Sainte-Flanelle and play for the Montreal Canadiens; this year, it means playing at home in Vancouver, near his family. On Saturday, he appeared on John Shannon’s 100% Canucks podcast and touched on various topics during the 25-minute-or-so interview.
Of course, the host wanted to discuss with Gallagher how his departure from Montreal came to be and how he knew it was time to move on. The 34-year-old explained:
As the season went on- and, to be honest, probably going back to the season before- you know, I got off to a very good start, and if I hadn’t, maybe it would have happened a year earlier. I think it was always probably part of what was coming, and I could kind of feel it early on in the year last year that they had kind of made some decisions. It’s hard to change people’s minds once decisions are made. I had an idea halfway through the year: you start to have some conversations, and as I’ve said before, you’ve been around this game long enough; you understand, you take nothing personally. I try to look at everything positively; I’m really fond of every memory I have, of every teammate, every coach, every member of management, staff. I loved my time in Montreal, but at the same time, it’s time to move on.
As sad as it was for Gallagher’s time with the Canadiens to end, the writing was on the wall, and even the fans saw it coming. He was no longer one of the team's core players; the youngsters around him had matured in skill and experience, and slowly but surely, he was pushed to the side. Not just because his performance was declining, but because the other players improved.
It’s that improvement that allowed the Canadiens to make it to the Eastern Conference Final this season, and while the Habs played 19 games, Gallagher had to settle for just three, which wasn’t easy for a man who has always been known as a fierce competitor:
Pretty tough, pretty tough because you know, you’re managing your emotions. I got in there against Tampa and felt like I did my job; I did well, and then, as I said, it’s tough to change people’s minds when their minds are made up. They go back to what they wanted, and that was fine, but it’s kind of twofold. You’re sitting there and looking at some teammates that you’ve been battling with for years, and you want nothing but the best for them. But then it’s frustrating because you’re watching and you know that you can help and contribute, but you’re not getting that opportunity. It’s part of it: you have to be a good teammate. You’ve got to do your job, and when guys are asked, you know, you can’t be a distraction. It was a mental challenge for me. I didn’t want the end of my time there to be anything different than what I was and everything that I believed in, so I took care of that.
Shannon also asked if Gallagher had some favorite highlights as a member of the Canadiens. He mentioned coming back from his first hand fracture in time for the Winter Classic in Boston, the run to the ECF against the New York Rangers in 2014, and that year they always found a way, even though they relied on Carey Price. He also mentioned the 2021 run to the Stanley Cup Final and how they came back from down 3-1 to Toronto to get there. Of course, he spoke of the team coming to his family home when his mother passed away as well.
While Gallagher’s departure didn’t happen perfectly, he had enough self-awareness not to overstay his welcome. He knew the team was ready to move on, and he clearly didn’t want to be the guy who cheers from the sidelines or the press gallery. He finished the year doing it; he never complained, but once the playoff run ended, he wasted no time saying it wasn’t for him and he wanted out. The veteran was the ultimate professional until the end. When he comes back to Montreal, hopefully on March 6 (if he’s not traded to a contender before the March 1 trade deadline), he’ll get a hero’s welcome and a heartfelt goodbye.
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