Remembering Brendan Gallagher’s Best Moments With the Canadiens

“There’s been ups and downs, but I don’t have a single regret. It’s pretty clear I’ll be moving on here. I’m just very fortunate,” Gallagher said during the emotional media session on June 1.

The Canadiens didn’t trade Gallagher to the Canucks simply because they were willing to take on his salary. For Gallagher, the move was about returning him to where his hockey journey began. Although he was born in Alberta, Gallagher spent most of his childhood in British Columbia. Before coming to the NHL, he caught the attention of scouts by excelling as a member of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Vancouver Giants. Manny Malhotra, the head coach of the Canucks, also shared the ice with Gallagher in Montreal for a short time.

But before Gallagher officially begins the next chapter of his career in Vancouver, it’s only fair to look back on the impact he left behind as a Canadien. Here are some of his most memorable moments from his time with the organization.

First NHL Goal

Mostly because of his size, Gallagher had plenty of doubters as he made the transition from the WHL to the NHL. Still, due to his production with the Giants despite his shorter stature, the Habs took a gamble on Gallagher by selecting him in the fifth round of the 2010 Draft. What Gallagher lacked in physicality, he made up for with his work ethic and other intangibles. He proved it just three games into his NHL career.

In a home matchup with the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 27, 2013, Gallagher broke the ice toward the end of the first period with his first career goal. Picking up the puck off a turnover at the blue line, fellow rookie Alex Galchenyuk delivered a pretty feed across the slot to Gallagher, who made no mistake with a wide-open net to work with. What made the tally extra memorable was that it came against Martin Brodeur, one of the best goalies to ever strap on the pads.

2016 Winter Classic

All hockey players dream of making an appearance in an outdoor game at some point during their career, and Gallagher was no different. He finally got his wish when the Habs and Boston Bruins faced off in the 2016 Winter Classic, an event that Gallagher almost missed entirely after breaking multiple fingers blocking a shot earlier in the season. But despite coming off a 17-game absence, he appeared no worse for wear.

In a contest that devolved into a one-sided 5-1 blowout win for Montreal, Gallagher was at the forefront of its offensive attack. He was even named the game’s first star, batting home the Habs’ third goal out of mid-air and following that up with an assist on a Max Pacioretty goal in the third.

First Hat Trick

Despite his consistency since first arriving in Montreal, Gallagher had to wait a long time before securing a hat trick. He had come close on multiple occasions, especially when he notched a pair of goals twice in the three-game span back in Feb. 2015. Still, he had yet to notch that elusive third goal in a game as he entered the 2018-19 campaign.

But during what turned out to be one of his best seasons with the Habs, Gallagher finally got that monkey off his back.

In a pivotal Eastern Conference battle with the Philadelphia Flyers, he opened the scoring with a quick wrist shot from the top of the right circle that beat Carter Hart cleanly. His next goal came with the help of a little puck luck, as he threw a shot on net from the right corner and it somehow trickled between Hart’s pad and the left post. Then, Gallagher sealed the deal with a backhander from in tight to make it 4-0 Montreal. Hats came flying down from the Bell Centre crowd as Andrew Shaw picked up the puck to commemorate the accomplishment.

Gallagher Helps Send Habs to 2021 Cup Final

During the Canadiens’ Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2020-21 campaign, Gallagher didn’t put up Conn Smythe-worthy numbers by any stretch. Still, he found ways to make an impact on the scoresheet when his team needed it most. With just one goal separating the Canadiens from their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since 1993, he did just that against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the conference final.

After a stellar save by goaltender Carey Price at one end of the rink, Gallagher got the Habs going the other direction and dished the puck to Phillip Danault in the neutral zone. Suddenly in on a 2-on-1, he made no mistake and delivered a perfect pass onto Artturi Lehkonen’s tape, who beat goaltender Robin Lehner with a wrister.

The Canadiens ultimately came up short in the Stanley Cup Final days later, but that assist from Gallagher will always stand out as one of the biggest of his career regardless.

One Last Tally

He never made it known, but Gallagher was itching to get back on the ice as he watched his team battle the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of this past year’s playoffs. With the series headed back to Florida tied at two, he finally got that chance and ran with it in Game 5.

Though he’d been scratched for over two weeks at that point, Gallagher didn’t look out of place in the slightest during his return. That’s why, just three minutes in, it wasn’t too shocking when he found twine by crashing the net after Alex Newhook’s chance in tight was denied by Andrei Vasilevskiy. Little did Gallagher know the strike would wind up being his last as a Canadien.

While Gallagher’s time in Montreal may be over, the impact he left on the organization will not soon be forgotten by fans and players alike. Through his talent on the ice and leadership off of it, he redefined the standard of what it means to be a Canadien. When he makes his emotional return to the Bell Centre on March 6, 2027, the roaring ovation he receives from the crowd will likely reflect that.