It came as good news for any hockey fan that the negotiations for the new CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA went so smoothly that they were able to ratify it a year before it even came into force. No strike, no lockout nonsense, just uninterrupted hockey for the next five years (the last year of the current CBA and the four years of the new one). But amongst the highlights of the new deal is a disposition which could have a significant impact on one Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] player. From the 2026-27 season, the NHL teams will be playing 84 games rather than 82 like they have been for some time now, this means the Habs will be playing 166 games in the next two seasons. That’s the exact number of games Brendan Gallagher needs to reach the all-important 1,000 games milestone. Canadiens: Zach Bolduc Speaks To The Media [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-zach-bolduc-speaks-to-the-media] Huberdeau Speaks Highly Of The Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/huberdeau-speaks-highly-of-the-canadiens] Canadiens Now Have Goalie Battle To Watch [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-now-have-goalie-battle-to-watch] The alternate captain has two seasons left on his six-year, $6.5 million AAV contract. Although some fans were once critical of his contract, hoping it would be bought out, his recent season has appeased the masses, as he played all 82 games and scored 38 points. It was the first time since the 2018-19 season that he managed to play all 82 games of the season, and on top of that, 21 of his 38 points were goals. It had been a long time since he reached the 20-goal mark; in fact, the last occurrence was in 2019-20, when he put up 22 goals in a 59-game Covid-shortened season. The devoted veteran has now played 834 games with the Sainte-Flanelle, and if he manages to stay healthy and isn’t traded or bought out, he could finish his contract having played exactly 1,000 games all wearing the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge. ALL 21 BRENDAN GALLAGHER GOALS OF THE 2024-25 SEASON! 21 BUTS! [https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o6stSyscDto/maxresdefault.jpg] ALL 21 BRENDAN GALLAGHER GOALS OF THE 2024-25 SEASON! 21 BUTS! Brendan Gallagher had a remarkable bounce back season. He got himself back up the 20 goal mark, hitting 21 total. Here's a compilation of all 21 goals he sco... [https://youtu.be/o6stSyscDto?si=-J2fzyJwMvIz2Y8b] It would be a fitting end for the man who was fifth in team scoring this past season and third in goals scored. Not so long ago, I would have laughed at the suggestion that Gallagher could play a full season with his injury track record, but he did manage to do it this past season, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. It would be hard not to be happy for the veteran if he did reach the 1,000-game milestone, after all, the odds were hardly in his favour. A fifth-round pick and 147th selection overall at the 2010 draft, who was only 5-foot-9, most counted him out without knowing anything about him, but straight from his first training camp, two things were obvious: he was playing like a player much bigger than he was, and his determination was without limit. The alternate captain has stuck with the Habs through highs and lows and never wanted to move elsewhere. This season, he climbed his way into the Canadiens’ record book and reached several milestones. His 834 games with the Sainte-Flanelle are the 20th most games played in the storied uniform, with 239 career goals, he is the 15th most prolific goal scorer in franchise history (and that’s a long history), his 225 assists are the 39th highest total. His 464 points are the 27th highest total. Only five players have played 1,000 games with the Canadiens: Henri Richard (1,258), Larry Robinson (1,202), Bob Gainey (1,160), Jean Beliveau (1,125), and Claude Provost (1,005). That’s some pretty elite company, and for everything he has accomplished on the ice, Gallagher is deserving of joining it. For that to happen, though, everything will need to play out perfectly. It would be agonizing for fans to see Gallagher’s career come to an end just short of the milestone. Think of how many of them still mention Andrei Markov’s 990 games and the way he fell just short… Photo credit: Douglas DeFelice-Imagn Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
