It appears Brendan Gallagher's regular season has come to a premature end.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said that Gallagher probably won’t return before the end of the regular season. 

Last week the forward was placed on long-term injured reserve due to a fractured right thumb.

Gallagher has a history of hand injuries. In November 2015, he broke two fingers on his left hand off a slapshot from then-New York Islanders defenceman Johnny Boychuk that required surgery. In January 2017, he fractured his left hand off a shot from teammate Shea Weber that also required surgery.

The 28-year-old has 14 goals and 23 points in 35 games this season. He is signed through the 2026-27 season under a contract extension that will kick in next season, carrying a cap hit of $6.5 million.