Gallagher, born in Edmonton and raised in Delta, British Columbia, played each of his first 14 seasons with Montreal since being selected in the fifth round (No. 147) of the 2010 NHL Draft. He had 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 77 regular-season games this season but was in the lineup only three times during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring one goal during the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This season marked the first time Gallagher was a healthy scratch since making his NHL debut in 2013.
"On behalf of the entire Canadiens organization, we would like to sincerely thank Brendan for everything he has brought to this team over the course of his remarkable 14-season career in Montreal," Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said. "Brendan will always hold a special place in the hearts of Canadiens fans. He represented the team with such tremendous determination, passion and inspiring courage. He is the very definition of a warrior, always putting the team's success ahead of his own individual accolades. He always conducted himself like a true Montreal Canadien, both on the ice and in our community, where he made such a significant impact. We wish him the best of luck in Vancouver."
A two-time 30-goal scorer, Gallagher has 487 points (246 goals, 241 assists) in 911 regular-season games and 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 79 playoff games for the Canadiens. He had an assist in his 900th NHL game, Montreal's 3-2 overtime win against the Boston Bruins at Bell Centre on March 17.
"It is obviously my decision, but you're kind of forced into it," Gallagher said June 1, three days after the Canadiens lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. "I would love to stay here and love to be a part of this group. But for me, you have to give yourself an opportunity as a player to contribute and the situation now, it's not going to change. You just kind of accept it for what it is and you deal with it.
"I've been around here long enough that I've seen it happen to other players, and guys go on and go finish their careers elsewhere. But for me, Montreal is always going to be home, and I don't want it to be lost on anyone how fortunate I feel to have the opportunity to play here for as long as I have."
The Canucks on Monday also traded Nils Hoglander to the Nashville Predators for a third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft. They finished last in the NHL (25-49-8), hired Manny Malhotra to replace Adam Foote as coach June 1 and selected his son, forward Caleb Malhotra, with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Johnson was hired as GM as part of a regime change that also saw Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin become co-presidents of hockey operations.
