Gallagher left out: It was a tough decision to make, but it was about time

Tonight, Brendan Gallagher will be left out… even though he's healthy enough to play in the Canadiens' game. Martin St-Louis has made the decision many were expecting. And the team's head coach admits it: it wasn't an easy decision. But… it's still the right one because the Habs veteran hasn't necessarily been helping the team for some time now.

Martin St-Louis on benching Gallagher:
“I think he's taking it better than I am. It's not easy given what he means to the Canadiens. This is where we are with the schedule and our depth. We'll keep evaluating. Gally's a pro.”
— Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) March 14, 2026
Gally took it well because he's a pro.
He knows the game and he knows that, in the end, St. Louis didn't make that decision just to piss him off. The man who's been called “the warrior” for so long in Montreal wants the best for his team… and he's willing to do whatever it takes to help in his own way.
We have to tip our hats to him.

In the locker room, his teammates aren't worried about him. At least, according to Jake Evans, the guys have his back. We know the veteran will play on Sunday against the Ducks, and Evans is convinced of one thing: Gally will be hungry on the ice and he'll have a good game.

Martin St-Louis confirmed that Brendan Gallagher will be back in the lineup Sunday night against the Ducks, and Jake Evans believes we'll see the best version of number 11! pic.twitter.com/Wy55lejXvE
— RDS (@RDSca) March 14, 2026
Again, it's clear that the process couldn't have been easy for Martin St-Louis. Brendan Gallagher is one of the most respected players in the organization because we know how hard he's worked for the team in recent years.
But at some point, the coach was going to have to make some tough choices, and we're at that point in the season where every point matters in the Eastern Conference standings. Especially since we know how tight the race for the playoffs is…
I'm eager to see if it pays off, then. But the guys better not be slacking on the ice tonight, or else we'll see just how important Gallagher's leadership is to this team…

In a nutshell – Heads up:

Enter the combined 50/50 raffle for both games this weekend hosted by the @CHCFondation and get a chance to win a jackpot twice as big Get raffle tickets ↓ #GoHabsGo
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 14, 2026
– Well done.

WHEELCHAIR CURLING Canada wins gold in the mixed event! They beat China 4-3! #MilanoCortina2026 #rcsports #ParalympicGames #wheelchaircurling #TeamCanada #TeamCanada pic.twitter.com/9py6YDlR8C — Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) March 14, 2026 – Yo!

Luke says hi!
Luke says hi pic.twitter.com/3whqqV346m
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) March 14, 2026