Insider Says It “Killed” Martin St. Louis to Make Tough Decision in Montreal

The fact that Martin St. Louis essentially ended Brendan Gallagher‘s career in Montreal isn’t sitting well with some fans and it likely hasn’t sat well with St. Louis himself. The Canadiens’ head coach had to make a difficult decision during these 2026 NHL playoffs, and that decision has led to Gallagher admitting his time in Montreal is likely over.

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Eric Engels of Sportsnet commented on how hard the decision was for St. Louis, and he knows that it “killed him” to have to make it.

“This is the harsh reality of the business. Brendan Gallagher was on the wrong end of it this time,” said Engels.

He added, “His coach — and I know a lot of people are upset about this — had easily the toughest decision he’s faced in his four-and-a-half years behind the bench in Montreal. And I know for a fact it killed Marty to do that.”

Engels then explained that St. Louis knows what it feels like to be Gallagher right now. “For anyone who doesn’t believe that, remember, Marty was on the other side of this at one point. He was not chosen to be an Olympian after some amazing years by his own general manager at the time, Steve Yzerman. He ended up there as an injury replacement, played very sparingly in the tournament, and there was no coming back from it when he got back to Tampa.”

That’s when St. Louis knew it was time for him to move on took the attitude, I’ll go prove that I still have what it takes somewhere else. “And that’s the place that Brandon Gallagher finds himself in now.”

Gallagher Has No Choice But To Move On from the Canadiens

Engels argued that there’s no walking this back. The Canadiens play a certain way, and at the end of the day, his style probably “didn’t fit to be able to get the best out of him or for him to be the best solution for their lineup.” He added, “Do I think you would have made the difference? No. Do I think he could have made a difference? Yes. But, I respect that Marty St. Louis had a very difficult decision to make, and he made it for only one reason, and I believe that in his heart, it was the best decision to try to win a hockey game.”

Gallagher will either be traded or bought out by the Canadiens and he’ll use the summer to find a new home if the latter. Vancouver has been noted as a destination that would have serious interest in him, and he has already said he’d be open to going to there to start the next chapter and prove to St. Louis and the Canadiens that there’s still a lot left in his tank.

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