This offseason, the Montreal Canadiens said goodbye to one of the longer tenured players in franchise history. Brendan Gallagher had played 14 seasons and 911 regular-season games with the Canadiens, but Montreal needed to make a move to create a roster spot and cap space. They would end up trading him to the Vancouver Canucks
On Thursday, the NHL announced the full 2026-27 schedule for every NHL team, and for Gallagher, he probably quickly searched the schedule for when he might be playing his former team. Unfortunately for Gallagher, he is going to have to wait as the two games on the schedule against the Canadiens are in the second half of the season.
The first meeting is in Vancouver on February 1st, which is one of the final games before the All-Star break this season. Gallagher will then make his return to Montreal as a visitor for the first time in his career, with that game taking place on March 6th.
Montreal Canadiens should be prepared for a motivated Brendan Gallagher when they play the Canucks
There is no question that Gallagher saw his tenure with Montreal end on a sour note. He was a healthy scratch for several games in the playoffs, which was surprising as it seemed he could have been helpful for Montreal, especially against the Hurricanes.
While Gallagher is older and towards the end of his career, the forward will be motivated against his former team. The question will be whether or not the Canucks are talented enough to compete with the Canadiens.
When looking at the two rosters, the Canadiens are clearly the better team at this point in the offseason. It certainly won't be surprising to see Gallagher be cheered when he is back in Montreal before the game, but that probably will all change once the puck drops.
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