Brendan Gallagher talks culture after meeting Vancouver Canucks teammates
Brendan Gallagher knows a thing or two about hockey culture.
The 34-year-old forward is preparing to embark on his 15th NHL season this year, and his first not with the Montreal Canadiens. Instead, Gallagher will suit up for the Vancouver Canucks after getting traded to the Canadian West Coast over the summer.
It’ll be a big change, and many Canucks fans are hoping that the veteran winger can help correct the culture around the team. Vancouver seems to have been a hotspot for controversy over the past couple of seasons, whether that be star players feuding with each otherĀ or big names asking out.
Gallagher has long been seen as a strong leader inside an NHL dressing room, and it appears he has little concern about the culture he’s stepping into with the Canucks.
The Edmonton native appeared on the 100% Canucks Podcast with John Shannon over theĀ weekend, where he revealed that he had already met up with some of his new teammates and has been impressed with the group so far.
“From what I’ve seen here, this is a great group,” Gallagher said. “I’ve been here for a couple of weeks now. Guys are super involved with each other. We’ve been planning stuff and hanging out, and we’re having fun.
“I think this is an awesome group. A group that wants to be here and is going to have a lot of fun playing together.”
That is certainly a good start for Gallagher, and hopefully a sign of things to come. The veteran winger also revealed that he went golfing with some of his teammates over this past weekend.
As the season gets going, Gallagher will be relied upon to foster a more welcoming culture for players. After 15 years in the league, he has experienced both sides of the spectrum and is hoping to build up a foundation in Vancouver.
“I’ve played on teams where you recognize that you have a great culture. I’ve played on teams where you recognize that you don’t have it,” Gallagher said. “Everyone has to have a job; everyone has to know their role. Everyone has to show up, do their job, but you have to enjoy it.
“I don’t think culture is something that you ever stop working on and growing. I think you need to have a foundation, and I think it needs to grow from there.”
He went on to mention that the motivation is there for this group of Canucks players. A new coaching staff is set to take over the bench once again, and players have arrived early to try to get together with teammates to build a sense of familiarity before training camp opens.
For Gallagher, that is super important heading into the new season.
“If you’re going to go through a grind of a season, you’re going to have great moments, but you’re going to have tough moments,” Gallagher said. “You’re going to have stretches where you’ve lost a couple in a row, and you’re coming to the rink and, you know, you want to be friends.
“You want to be getting through this stuff together, and you build that early.”
It’s set to be an interesting season for the Canucks, one that fans hope will involve a lot less off-ice drama than the past couple of seasons.
If they can accomplish that, Gallagher will be a big reason why.