Named honorary citizen, Brendan Gallagher says ‘merci’ to Montreal: ‘This city has given me everything’
Posted June 25, 2026 4:22 pm.
Last Updated June 25, 2026 9:11 pm.
For everything Brendan Gallagher gave to the city of Montreal, it’s what the city gave back to him that he’ll remember for a lifetime.
Being honoured by the City of Montreal on Thursday – he was given the title of honorary citizen – was an opportunity for Gallagher to express his love to the place he’s called home for the entirety of his professional hockey career.
The much-loved Gallagher, who gave years of his life, hundreds of goals and an immeasurable amount of passion to the Montreal Canadiens, expressed his love and debt to the metropolis in his speech at city hall.
“I’ve been part of this city since I was drafted at 17 years old. I’m now 34 and over those years Montreal has given me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream,” Gallagher said. “It has given me friendships and relationships that are going to last a lifetime. It has given me the chance to connect with fans and become part of a community that means so much to me.
“But even more importantly than that, Montreal has given me my beautiful wife Emma, our beautiful daughter Everly, and a young baby very soon who is going to be proud to call Montreal home. As a bonus it’s given me an extended family, my wife’s family who is also here supporting me today so thank you guys for being here.
“This city has given me everything and in return all I had to do was show up every day, work hard and try to do it with a smile on my face most of the time.”
Gallagher, who spent his entire NHL career with the Canadiens after making his debut in the 2012–13 season, announced he would be “moving on” from the Habs during the team’s end-of-season locker room cleanout earlier this month.
Over 14 seasons with Montreal, the Alberta native played 911 regular-season games, notching 246 goals and 241 assists for 487 points.
“I’ll never forget my first draft in 2010 and our fifth-round pick, 147th overall,” recounted Canadiens president Geoff Molson at city hall. “Pierre Gauthier, who was our general manager at the time, leaned towards me and said, ‘This kid is small, but I promise you he’ll find a way to make his mark in the NHL.’ And here we are, 16 years and 14 seasons later, and only eight players in his draft year have played more games than him.”
A reflection of Montreal’s determination
Known for his gritty style of play, Gallagher quickly became a fan favourite during his time in Montreal.
“When I think of Brendan, two words come to mind,” Molson said. “The first is determination. There isn’t a single defenceman or goalie in the NHL who enjoyed playing against Brendan Gallagher. He always found a way to get to the net, and it was his home in front of it. You only have to look at his pictures on websites, read the newspapers, or see him on TV — his face always had that look of determination in every game.
“And the second is leadership. He’s so respected by his teammates. He’s so respected by everyone internally, including me of course, for his leadership. Our young players, whom we all love, who are on the team now, like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Demidov, Hutson, Brendan played a very important role in helping them develop.”
Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez said Gallagher’s determination is a reflection of Montreal.
“Brendan Gallagher was never, perhaps, the biggest, never the most imposing, never the one whose path was predicted to be easy,” she said. “Yet, somehow, he always found a way. He chose our path, the path of effort, courage, and perseverance, game after game, season after season, shift after shift, battle after battle. He became the very embodiment of what fans admire most. Someone who never backs down from adversity. Someone who always gets back up. Someone who gives everything for his team. A player who never took a night off. A player who earned every inch of the ice.
“This determination earned him the respect of his teammates, his fans, his coaches, and a generation of supporters, many of whom are here in front of you, Brendan. Because in Montreal, yes, we love winners. We also deeply admire those who fight with dignity, who demonstrate resilience, and who give their best every single day. And Brendan represents exactly that. In many ways, Brendan represents the very spirit of the city. A proud city. A resilient city. A hard-working city. A city that refuses to give up.”
Gallagher echoed those thoughts, saying he feels deeply connected to Montreal “because the city is so relatable.”
“It reflects the values I admire most: hard work, passion, resilience and pride,” he said. “And I got to see that every single day from the Montreal that I got to meet and connect with over the years.
“I was just a kid from Western Canada who fell in love with the city, and in return that city showed me nothing but love and support through my 14 seasons as a Montreal Canadien.”
Gallagher is on the books for one last season at $6.5 million and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 campaign. He has a modified no-trade clause.
The outgoing Canadiens winger told reporters after the event he’s unsure where he’ll end up, but he needs to keep his loved ones in mind when making the decision.
“It just needs to be a place where my family’s comfortable,” Gallagher said. “I think that’s the first priority and I need to, like I said, we’re going to have two kids under two and my wife and my kids are number one. And then after that, finding a place where I can go and do what I need to do, play my game and find a place where I could be helpful to a group. And I’m sure there’s going to be a solution out there, a place out there where we can find all that.”
Young fans recognized this was the last time they would effectively see him as a Montreal Canadien.
“I find he’s very good, he’s cool, he’s a good player,” said Canadiens fan Thomas James.
“I’m gonna ask him to sign my shirt. I’m gonna ask if I could take a picture, and I’ll give him a high-five and a fist bump.”
Gallagher said being named honorary citizen by Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada “means a great deal” to him.
“It means a lot to be able to share this moment with my wife, my family and the people I care most about. But it also means a lot because it gives me the opportunity to say something that I may never have said enough over the years: merci.
“Merci to everyone who made Montreal feel like home. Merci for your support, your kindness and your belief in me. You have made this city one of the most important parts of my life and I will always be grateful for that. It means more than I can’t put into words and I’m sure we’ll see each other again very soon. Merci beaucoup.”
