Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher suspended for ugly hit to the head

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher has been suspended for five games for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. He will also forfeit $169,270.85 to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund, per terms outlined in the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Gallagher was given a match penalty for the hit, leaving the ice roughly 12 minutes before Montreal’s eventual win over New York.

Gallagher’s hit spread quickly around social media, where many were surprised to learn that the winger would only be having a phone hearing, limiting the largest suspension he could receive to just five games. He’s received said maximum punishment, marking the first time that Gallagher has been suspended across his 12-year NHL career. The only other disciplinary action that he’s faced was a $2,500 fine for a roughing penalty in November of the 2021-22 season.

Gallagher has had a productive career with the Canadiens, appearing in 723 career games and netting 411 points. His best year came during the 2017-18 season when the winger scored 31 goals and 54 points through 82 games. He followed it up with 33 goals and 52 points through 82 games the next year, marking the longest active streak of Gallagher’s career. Now 31, he’s lost the scoring kick that he once had — boasting just 16 points, split evenly, through 48 games this season. He still ranks fourth on Montreal in scoring, but the team is ranked 25th in the league in goals-for.

Jesse Ylonen will likely serve in a larger role with Gallagher out. The winger made his return to the lineup on Wednesday, after exiting the team’s Monday night game with an undisclosed injury. Ylonen has seven points in 36 games this year.