When Trevor Timmins took the stage at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on day two of the 2010 NHL entry draft, nobody paid much attention to his fifth-round pick. The big names...Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin and Eric Gudbranson...had been feted on national television the day before and interest in the lower rounds was mainly from scouts and GMs who hoped to find a steal.
Brendan Gallagher was a hustler for the Vancouver Giants back then. He stood (officially) at 5'9" and weighed 180 lbs, although he looked more like he was on his way to junior high school wearing his dad's suit. Despite his stature, he was coming off three consecutive 40+ goal seasons in the WHL. He was still a gamble for Timmins who spent his earlier picks on Jarred Tinordi in the first round and Mark MacMillan in the fourth. The Habs had no second or third-round picks that year. There weren't really great expectations for Gallagher as an NHL player.
In 2010, most people would not have taken the bet that Gallagher would play fifteen years and 900 games (plus), put up two thirty-goal seasons and literally bleed for the Canadiens. It's a rare photo that doesn't show him with a cut on his cheekbone or lip. His feisty fearlessness earned him grudging respect from opponents who hated him...in a good way. Early on, he and Alex Galchenyuk were put together by the team...public appearances, rooms on the road and even a shared nickname. Everyone thought if one of the players ended up leaving the Habs, it'd be the fifth-rounder.
As we now know, Galchenyuk flamed out spectacularly and is playing in the KHL. Gallagher has become the heart and soul of the Canadiens, willing to sacrifice whatever he must to help the team win.
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In his earlier years, sacrifice meant blocking shots with his hands until they broke. It meant spending most of his shifts in the other team's blue paint, getting crosschecked, punched and speared. It meant taking a hit from Zdeno Chara and bouncing up with a shit-eating grin. Now, fifteen years in, sacrifice is more cerebral. In the last decade and a half, Gallagher has lost his mom and his hair. He's gotten married and has one-and-a-half kids. Goal scoring doesn't come as naturally or frequently as it used to do.
Coach Martin St.Louis has scratched Gallagher twice recently, which had to be dispiriting for a player who thrives on competition and being part of the group. To his credit, he has chosen not to be a distraction. Where some veterans who feel underused or disrespected publicly complain or ask for a traade, Gallagher has chosen to be a cheerleader.
"I'm comfortable with what I bring to this group. If my number is called, I know I can contribute. If not, you be a good team-mate and that's it," he told the media. "I'm grateful for the amount of time I've had in this city, I'm really fortunate for it. Obviously, I understand that you never know when you're going to get pushed out; I just try to take advantage of every opportunity that I have."
The elder statesman of the Canadiens has seen this happen to teammates before. He watched Marc Bergevin nickel-and-dime Andrei Markov out of town. He saw his captain, Saku Koivu, leave Montreal after management decided not to offer him a new contract and his teammate Tomas Plekanec get traded to the Leafs. This is something he knew was coming for him at some point.
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For a player who's given his body, mind and talent to his team, what he's doing now might be one of his biggest contributions to the Habs' future. He's going to smile and joke around with the kids he's mentored to take his place. He's going to be gracious and supportive and avoid becoming a distraction for his teammates.
It can't be easy for him. The end of his career is on an ever-nearing horizon and draft day seems a hundred years ago. Nobody would blame him for mourning the upcoming tangible loss of his hockey dream.
Yet, despite his personal pain, Gallagher is there for his team like he always has been. Fans can just hope all his dedication will pay off if he holds on long enough to be part of a Stanley Cup-winning Canadiens squad.
Nobody really knew his name on draft day in 2010, but they certainly know it now. He's a fighter and a gentleman and one very fine Montreal Canadien. Even if he ends up watching this team win on television, his dedication, mentorship and team-first mentality helped create the culture that will carry the Habs far.
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