Standing together

MONTREAL - When Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen felt like they were being targeted for elimination far too frequently during the Canadiens' pre-game soccer games last season, they decided to do something about it.

The pair banded together and joined forces, and that's when "The Alliance" was born.
"We are the most dominant players, and everyone started coming after us," explained Gallagher, on the primary reason behind the partnership. "Naturally, we formed what we called "The Alliance" and we've been inseparable and unbeatable ever since."
While Gallagher and Lehkonen still have their fair share of two-touch "enemies" so to speak, the number has steadily decreased in size.
They've done some recruiting, and "The Alliance" has grown to include several of their teammates as well.
"Mikey Reilly is our skills coach. That's very important. He's done wonders for our team," cracked Gallagher, who serves as a co-captain and assistant coach along with Lehkonen. "We've also got "KK" [Jesperi Kotkaniemi] on a PTO, but we haven't liked what we've seen. He's going to be released soon."

At the end of the day, though, the backbone of the "The Alliance" remains its two original founders.
"We're basically the heart and soul of the team," said Lehkonen with a laugh. "Gally is the heart, and I'm the soul."
And, the pair celebrate their association before and after every game with an all-important ritual.
"Everyone still comes after us, but it starts with a high-five and it ends with a high-five after victory," insisted Gallagher.

The opposition
According to the Canadiens' assistant captain, a rival group led by Tomas Tatar often works against "The Alliance" to eliminate its members one by one.

Gallagher shared that "The Tigers" were formed as a result of a misunderstanding of sorts.
"It happened when "Tuna" [Tomas Tatar] thought "The Alliance" was actually called "The Lions,"" indicated the Canadiens' No. 11. "Then, he changed the name into "The Tigers.""
So, what does their roster look like?
"Pretty much everyone is on their team," joked Gallagher. "But, mostly "Shawzy" [Andrew Shaw]."

More than just soccer rivals
It's safe to say that the ongoing battle between "The Alliance" and "The Tigers" doesn't just apply to two-touch alone.
At a HabsTV video shoot last week at the Bell Centre, the leadership groups from either side went head-to-head in EA SPORTS NHL 19.

Photo Credit: François Lacasse / Getty Images