Gallagher Believed Montreal Canadiens Would Trade Him in 2024-25
In an interview on the podcast ‘100% Canucks’, now-former Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher continued to be respectful to his former team but also honest about what his last two seasons with the Canadiens were like.
Early in the interview, host, and longtime NHL analyst John Shannon, asked Gallagher when he knew the writing was on the wall for the end of his time playing in Montreal.
“I think as the season went on, and to be honest, probably going back to the season before,” Gallagher told Shannon.
“I got off to a really good start (in 2024-25), and if I hadn’t, maybe earlier. I think it was always part of what was going to happen, and I could kind of feel it like, ‘OK, this is going to happen.’ They had kind of made some decisions, and it’s hard to kind of change people’s minds once decisions are made,” Gallagher continued to explain in the process of understanding that his time with the Montreal Canadiens was on borrowed time.
“I had an idea during the early part of the year (last season) and had some talks, and like I said before, you kind of been around the game long enough to know. You take nothing personal and I’m very fond of every memory I have. Every teammate, every coach, every member of management staff; I loved my time in Montreal but at the same time, it’s time to move on and turn the page,” said Gallagher about his experiences with the Canadiens.
During his 14 seasons in the NHL, all with the Montreal Canadiens, Gallagher has experienced three runs to the Eastern Conference Final (2014, 2021, 2026), and on to the Stanley Cup Final. The last run to the East Final was bittersweet for the 34-year-old to say the least.
“Pretty tough; pretty tough,” Gallagher told Shannon.
“You’re managing your emotions, like anyone… I got in there against Tampa and felt I did well and did my job, but like we said, it’s tough to change people’s minds when their minds are made up so they go back to what they wanted, and that was fine but it’s kind of two-fold: you’re sitting there and watching some teammates that I’ve been battling with for years and you want nothing but the best for them. But then, you’re watching, and you’re frustrated because you know you can help and you can contribute and you’re not getting that opportunity, but it’s part of it.”
Being the consummate pro that he’s always been, Gallagher sucked it up and was there for his teammates as they made it to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final before bowing out to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.
“You have to be a good teammate and you have to do your job and when other guys are asked, you can’t be a distraction,” Gallagher pointed out.
“You had to make sure. It was a mental challenge for me, and I didn’t want the end of my time there to be any different than it was. I made sure I took care of that, and then mentally you don’t move on until it’s over. You accept it once it’s over and you move on to the next chapter.”
Brendan Gallagher and the Vancouver Canucks will play their one game in Montreal this season on March 6.
