Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher to forfeit over $169k due to NHL suspension
Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher has been suspended five games without pay for a hit on Adam Pelech last night.
That means that he will forfeit more than $169k in salary as he sits out those five matches.
The incident occurred in the third period of Thursday’s match between the Canadiens and the New York Islanders. Gallagher skates across the ice, raising his elbow directly into Pelech’s head. The Islanders defenceman immediately goes down to the ice.
Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher has been suspended for five games for an illegal check to the head on NY Islanders’ Adam Pelech. https://t.co/lTIr7dmf83
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 26, 2024
The 31-year-old was assessed a five-minute major penalty and ejected from the game following the hit.
Pelech did not return to the game. The defenceman has a history of head injuries, as he missed 21 games last season with a concussion. He’s also missed time this year with an unrelated injury.
“Gallagher loads up, raises his arm, and elevates into a forceful check that cuts across Pelech’s core and picks his head, making the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable,” said the NHL’s Department of Player Safety video released today that explained the suspension.
The hit caused quite a reaction across the hockey world. Even former teammate P.K. Subban weighed in on the situation and used the word “inexcusable” to describe the play.
The Canadiens forward had a virtual hearing by phone earlier today. The five-game penalty is the maximum allowable since Gallagher did not face an in-person hearing.
It’s the first suspension across a more than decade-long career for the Edmonton-born player.
The winger has eight goals and eight assists for 16 points in 48 games so far this season. He will be eligible to return to the lineup on February 15 when the Canadiens face off against the New York Rangers.