Veteran forward Brendan Gallagher knows his time as a Montreal Canadien is coming to an end.
Gallagher is entering the final season of his six-year, $39 million contract after wrapping up his 14th year with the organization.
An emotional Brendan Gallagher says "it's pretty clear I'll be moving on" from the Canadiens after 14 seasons. pic.twitter.com/Jc1De1Rx1V
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 1, 2026
The oldest player on the Canadiens roster at 34, Gallagher saw a career low in ice time this season at 12:21 per game and for the first time since January of 2013 as a rookie, he was made a healthy scratch on March 14.
He finished the regular season with seven goals and 23 points in 77 games.
Gallagher was a frequent scratch in the playoffs, appearing in just three games in the team’s march to the Eastern Conference Final, but scored a key goal in the team’s Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round.
Gallagher expressed his gratitude during the team’s locker cleanout on Monday morning.
“First and foremost, so thankful and so fortunate to have spent as much time as I have here,” said Gallagher. “The fans right from Day 1, it’s been truly a privilege to play in front of them. It’s an opportunity that not a lot of players get in this league. I’ve gotten to do it for 14 years now.
“It’s not lost on me how special it was to call the Bell Centre home. The very first time I set foot in this organization, management, coaches, teammates I’ve had along the years, there’s been ups and downs, but I don’t have a single regret.
“It’s pretty clear I’ll kind of be moving on here,” Gallagher added before breaking down into tears.
Despite the NHL’s salary cap set to rise to $104 million for next season, the Canadiens are currently projected at $93 million with the team expected to add in the off-season, increasing the likelihood Montreal will move off from Gallagher’s $6.5 million cap hit.
A fifth-round pick (147th overall) by Montreal in 2010, Gallagher broke into the league as a rookie in 2013, putting 15 goals and 28 points in 44 games, earning him a Calder Trophy nomination.
He scored more than 30 goals twice and recorded a career-high 54 points in 2017-18.
In 911 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Gallagher put up 246 goals and 487 points.
He also skated in 74 playoff games, where he scored 14 goals with 34 points, helping Montreal reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
