BROSSARD, Quebec — Marc Bergevin likes to say that there are players who get you to the playoffs and players who get you through them, and in November of this season, he made a commitment to a player that does both in Brendan Gallagher.
That Bergevin would spend US$22.5 million on Gallagher for the six years that follow this one isn’t surprising. The Edmonton native’s unwavering consistency from pre-season through playoffs represents that intangible, invaluable quality Bergevin covets most–character.
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“He’s always in the paint,” said Bergevin on the day of the signing. “He works hard, he gets loose pucks, and he’s not afraid of anything. He competes night in and night out.”
So, why wait?
“I’ve never changed my game, regardless of the situation I’m in,” said Gallagher after practice Monday. “I got here playing a certain way and I figure, why change that now?”
Character–in Gallagher’s case–can be loosely defined as indomitable will and reckless abandon in pursuit of victory. This has been his hockey existence, epitomized by his perseverance as a fifth-round draft pick turned NHL star. Where goals and assists mean everything to top-six players, his greatest satisfaction is likely derived from the exhaustion that signifies he truly did leave it all on the ice for a game.
Gallagher takes it a step further, suggesting that “If you have a little bit left in the tank, I think you should be disappointed in yourself.”
That dogged determination gave Bergevin ample justification to skip the bridge process with him, whereas entry-level contracts for superstars Max Pacioretty, Carey Price and P.K. Subban were all followed by short-term, prove-it deals before long-term commitments were made.
No one would begrudge his pragmatism in signing the deal in November, for his is a game of chicken; one he’s constantly on the edge of losing, as he zips through the high-danger zones of the ice carefree, narrowly avoiding being swatted into oblivion. He’s had his brushes with fate, escaping bent but unbroken, having missed just five games over three seasons. He appeared in all 82 this year with the Canadiens.
He posted career-highs in goals (24), assists (23), +/- (18) and shots (253, 16th-most in the League). He played a pivotal role in the Canadiens not only getting to the playoffs, but guaranteeing themselves home-ice advantage against any other team aside from the Presidents’ Trophy-winning New York Rangers. And to complete his end of the bargain, the plan is to expand on an already impressive post-season resume that boasts six goals and seven assists in 22 NHL contests.
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Gallagher was a big-game player before he got to the NHL, posting 36 points through 42 playoff games with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League, where he was the all-time leader in goals and points for the franchise in the regular season. In 2011-12, his patented smile was a fixture at the World Junior Championships, where he excelled for Team Canada with six points in six games.
“You know [Gallagher’s] going to be there in the playoffs,” said teammate Nathan Beaulieu, who also played on that ’11-12 World Junior squad. “You always know what you’re going to get from him. That’s the best thing about him. Every shift he just goes through the trenches. There’s only one speed with him.”
It’s full steam ahead.
The playoffs are a time of uncertainty, but a known commodity is one less thing to worry about. When the chips are down, Bergevin and company know Gallagher will bring everything he has to the table.
