Brendan Gallagher will always be a notable player in Canadiens history. His relentlessness and his style of play charmed the Montreal crowd, but the city has also charmed him since the start of his career.
Gallagher started his 800th game in the NHL, and with the Canadiens, Thursday night against the Red Wings. It’s a huge plateau which places him 21st in the history of the Habs for matches played with the team.
Before starting his 800th career game, Gallagher spoke with Jean-François Chaumont of LNH.com. He notably explained in this interview that he loves Montreal so much that he would like to stay there, even after the end of his career.
Montreal not only allowed Gallagher to have a remarkable career, but also to find love. The Canadian number 11 met Quebecer Emma Fortin a few years ago and got married to her this summer.
The couple is even expecting a child in the coming months. Gallagher confirmed to Chaumont that he is happy to build a family in Montreal.
There’s no doubt that Gallagher is a huge crowd favorite, but his play has slowed down in recent years, causing his $6.5 million per year contract to become excessive.
Some Canadiens fans would like to see his contract bought out, but that shouldn’t happen. Renaud Lavoie rightly explained during his column on Thursday in The Morning Club from BPM Sports that he does not believe a contract buyout is in Kent Hughes’ plans.
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Either way, it doesn’t seem to be slowing down Canadians these days. Gallagher still brings so much aggression and he still manages to find the back of the net once in a while.
Gallagher’s contract will expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. He will then be 34 years old. The Canadian could make him sign a contract extension, but with a big salary cut.
If Gallagher wants to stay in Montreal after his career, he could follow in the footsteps of Paul Byron. The former CH player became a development consultant for the team’s players.
Gallagher could become an excellent mentor for the Canadian’s young players. We would all like to see him teach his techniques to play aggressively to the club’s hopes.
In burst
– It’s true.
– News from Markstrom.
– It’s a lot of money.
