- Brendan Gallagher says he’ll be moving on after 14 seasons in Montreal
- The 34-year-old broke down in tears and pointed to Vancouver as one option he’d welcome
- Read below for the full quotes, video of the emotional locker cleanout, and what comes next
Brendan Gallagher’s run in Montreal is over.
The 34-year-old confirmed it during Monday’s end-of-season media availability, breaking down in tears while putting his 14 seasons with the Canadiens in past tense.
“It’s pretty clear I’ll kind of be moving on here,” Gallagher said, before pausing to compose himself.
Gallagher arrived as a fifth-round pick in 2010 and never left, becoming the heart-and-soul of the franchise across parts of 14 seasons. He hit double digits in goals nine straight times before injuries and age started to chip away at his role.
This year was the toughest yet. A career-low 12:21 in average ice time, a healthy scratch in March for the first time since his rookie season, and just three appearances during Montreal’s Eastern Conference Final run.
Kent Hughes has plenty of summer work ahead with Montreal sitting at $93 million against a projected $104 million cap. Gallagher’s $6.5 million hit on the final year of his deal is a logical place to clear room.
Watch Gallagher break down at his exit interview:
He didn’t lay out his next stop, but he didn’t dance around the obvious one either. Gallagher grew up in Tsawwassen, B.C., a short drive from Rogers Arena, and made clear he’d welcome a chance to go home.
“If it were up to me, I’d stay in MTL for the rest of my career,” Gallagher said. “But at least I’ll have a say in where I go.”
Teammates aren’t ready for it. Juraj Slafkovsky was asked what Gallagher has meant to a young player walking into the league:
Gallagher leaves Montreal with 246 goals and 487 points in 911 regular-season games, plus another 79 playoff appearances including the team’s surprise run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The Calder Trophy nomination, the 30-goal seasons, the leadership through one of the deepest rebuilds in franchise history. None of it gets erased on the way out.
Cole Caufield’s brutal self-assessment hit the same room earlier in the day. Gallagher’s was the one that hit hardest.
