Canadiens’ Brendan Gallagher ejected for illegal hit on Islanders’ Adam Pelech

Montreal Canadiens’ forward Brendan Gallagher received a match penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head on New York Islanders’ defenseman Adam Pelech.

The incident occurred midway through the third period when Pelech threw a breakout pass to teammate Mathew Barzal and Gallagher throwing an elbow aimed at Pelech’s head. The Islanders’ blueliner immediately went down and stayed on the ice, requiring help to the dressing room.

Gallagher was immediately ejected from the game and will likely hear from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. In 12 NHL seasons, Gallagher has never been suspended by the league, but in November 2021 he was been fined $2,500 for sucker punching New York Rangers’ forward Barclay Goodrow.

Going into Thursday’s game, Gallagher has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points and 32 penalty minutes in 47 games this season. He is averaging 14:13 of ice time, the lowest average of his career since his rookie season in 2012-13.

Through 12 NHL seasons, all with the Canadiens, he’s scored 210 goals and 201 assists for 411 points in 722 career games. His best two seasons came in 2017-18 when he scored 31 goals and a career-high 54 points and 2018-19 when he scored a career-high 33 goals and 52 points.

Before Thursday’s game, the Canadiens were 20-21-7 with 47 points, sixth in the Atlantic Division and eight points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second and final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

After Thursday’s game, Montreal travels to Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, then they’re off for the All-Star break until Feb. 6, when they head to D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals.