Canucks trading with Montreal Canadiens for Brendan Gallagher

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Brendan Gallagher checks many boxes for a rebuilding Vancouver Canucks team, and his messaging was certainly on point after his trade to the club was announced Monday morning.

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The Canucks landed Gallagher from the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations, and Montreal is retaining 50 per cent of his salary. He is in the final year of deal that has him at a $6.5 million cap here.

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Gallagher, 34, is a former Vancouver Giants star who has family in the Lower Mainland, has a place here himself in Tsawwassen and routinely has spent his summers here training. 

He played 14 seasons in Montreal and, from the outside looking in, a future considerations deal feels like the Canadiens went out of their way to put him where he wanted to go. He only played in three of Montreal’s 19 playoff games this spring and admitted in his year-end media availability there that “it’s pretty clear I’ll be moving on.” 

It all means that he’s leaving a team that looks poised to challenge for a Stanley Cup and joining one that’s starting over after finishing last in the NHL this past season. And he’s sounds keen about it. 

“Creating culture is very important. That’s Step One,” Gallagher said in a Zoom call with reporters Monday. “Aside from that, you want good people around. You want people that if you have a bad day you know they’re going to show up the next day and be better. 

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“You don’t want guys who are going to be pointing fingers and looking around the room for answers. You have to find it within. When you go through that as a group, you’re stronger coming out of it. I think I saw that in Montreal. We went through a few tough years together, but, for the most part, the core of that group stayed the same. When you go through that, you do become closer as a group. I think that’s important, being able to stick together through adversity. 

“I’m not sure what’s ahead for us in Vancouver, but we’re going to be a group that competes. That’s all that any team I’ve played on you can ask for.” 

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Compete has always been the first one word on any Gallagher scouting report. He’s 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, and his game has always been much more feisty than fancy. His goals routinely come from the lip of the crease, with an opposing defender draped all over him and a netminder glaring him in the eye. He scores the goals that 6-foot-2, 220-pound guys regularly get.

He is a workhorse, a tone setter. This Canuck team could use that. And he’s been front and centre in a red-hot media market in Montreal for more than a decade. He’s been a Montreal alternate captain for the past 11 seasons. There’s bound to be some extended losing streaks with the Canucks next season, and Gallagher will be a type to stick around and answer questions about it. He’ll take media pressure off youngsters.

He’s also seen a rebuild. Montreal to the Stanley Cup Final in the COVID-19 2021 playoffs. They then missed the playoffs for three straight season before getting back into the postseason in 2024-25.

He’s trained with former Canuck Troy Stecher in summers in the past. He and former Canuck Tanner Pearson played world juniors together, so there’s history there.

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He has a previous connection, too, with recently named Vancouver coach Manny Malhotra, since Malhotra’s final season as a player in the NHL was with the Habs in 2014-15. That was a third campaign in the league for a then 22-year-old Gallagher.

“I know what Manny stood for as a player. I’m sure he’ll be the same way as a coach,” Gallagher said.

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The Canucks brought in another former Giants star last year in winger Evander Kane. They got him for a 2025 fourth-round pick. And, by comparison, Edmonton didn’t retain any of his $5.125 salary cap hit.

Kane received top-six minutes and first-unit power-play time early on, but wound up being shuffled up and down the line-up in the messy Vancouver season. He didn’t bring the physical presence he had in the past, and he finished with 13 goals and 31 points in 71 games.

He’s a unrestricted free agent.

Gallagher had seven goals and 23 points in 77 regular season games last season with Montreal, and that’s the lowest full-season total for him of his career. He’s one season removed from 21 goals and 38 points.

“I’ve got plenty left in the tank. I’m not too concerned about that,” Gallagher said Monday.

Gallagher’s a father of one, with another on the way. He said Monday that he’s staying in Montreal until the baby is born.

His three siblings all live in the Lower Mainland. He recently became an uncle again.

Brendan’s dad Ian heads up the Delta Hockey Academy. Ian originally moved the family here from Edmonton when he landed the job as the Giants strength and conditioning coach. Ian had originally come to B.C. to play for the Western Lacrosse Association’s Vancouver Burrards in the late 1980s.

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Brendan was a fifth-round pick (No. 147 overall) in the 2010 draft, but he’s 11th in games played (911) and 10th in goals (246) amongst that class.

He’s first in goals (136) and points (280) with the Giants. He’s tied for 16th in games played (244).

He was a ninth-round pick (No. 195) in the 2007 WHL draft by the Giants.

Brendan Gallagher signs the city hall guest book after being designated as a Citizen of Honour of Montreal by mayor of Montreal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada in Montreal on Thursday, June 25, 2026.

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