Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis speaks to members of the media ahead of NHL hockey action against the Minnesota Wild in Montreal, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

By The Canadian Press

Canadiens’ St. Louis faces tough lineup decisions as Gallagher’s minutes dwindle

Mar 13, 2026 | 2:50 PM

BROSSARD — Martin St. Louis has already shown he’s ready to make tough calls.

The Montreal Canadiens coach made a bold move earlier this week by starting rookie goalie Jacob Fowler and sitting Sam Montembeault. As the team pushes toward a second consecutive playoff berth, scratching his longest-serving player could be next.

Brendan Gallagher practised in his usual spot on the fourth line Friday at CN Sports Complex, but St. Louis stopped short of guaranteeing the veteran winger — whose ice time has dwindled this season — a place in the lineup.

“We have a deep group of forwards right now, and sometimes I have to make tough decisions,” said St. Louis, asked directly if Gallagher’s competitive edge was enough to keep him an everyday regular. “Gally’s a pro. I know what Gally can bring, and we’re going to make decisions on a game-to-game basis.

“Every player on my team knows where they stand. I have plenty of conversations with everybody about where they’re standing. We’re going to make decisions that are best for the team.”

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Gallagher, who was not made available to reporters Friday, played a team-low eight minutes 48 seconds in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Alexandre Texier, meanwhile, returned after five games as a scratch to replace ill winger Cole Caufield on the Canadiens’ top line, scoring a goal and throwing four hits in 14:49.

But at practice Friday, Caufield was back in the lineup, Gallagher skated alongside Phillip Danault and Josh Anderson, and Texier stood as the extra forward — even after St. Louis called his Wednesday performance “excellent.”

A heart-and-soul player, Gallagher quickly became a fan favourite for his grit and tenacity after Montreal drafted him in 2010. The physical toll of his hard-nosed style has slowed him down, but his willingness to crash the crease and punch above his weight hasn’t diminished.

On Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the five-foot-nine, 185-pound forward dropped the gloves with six-foot-one, 210-pound defenceman Jake McCabe in a spirited bout.

“He fights for the team, he goes into every battle, he plays hard,” forward Juraj Slafkovsky said. “And in the locker room, he’s a good guy. I sit really close to him. We spend a lot of time together, and yeah, he’s a great human being.”

The 33-year-old from Edmonton is a leader on the Canadiens, with an “A” stitched on his jersey to prove it.

“He’s an important player for sure in that sense,” St. Louis said. “I look at all the veterans that have gone through the rebuild with us, they’ve been a big part of why we are where we are. There’s some veterans that didn’t want to go through that.

“He’s been a big part in that leadership role and helped our young guys to evolve. He’s played hard. Gally’s a pro. And I know his minutes have gone down, and I think it’s just what happens when you have young players pushing and coming. It’s just part of it.”

Defenceman Mike Matheson said the fact St. Louis is facing these tough decisions shows how far the Canadiens have come since dwelling near the NHL’s basement from 2022 to 2024.

“It’s a great sign that we’ve got so many great options and a testament to the years that each guy has been having individually,” he said. “It’s difficult. (St. Louis) is someone who believes in every player and wants the best for every player. It’s not easy to make those decisions, but sometimes it’s a good problem to have, too.”

Gallagher, a back-to-back 30-goal scorer before the pandemic, has just six goals and 14 assists in 64 games this season, averaging a career-low 12:39. Texier, 26, has eight goals and 11 assists in 32 games, adding to Montreal’s deepest forward group in years.

The Canadiens (36-18-10) sat third in the Atlantic, four points behind the division-leading Buffalo Sabres with two games in hand, heading into a busy weekend with matchups against the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

Gallagher is two games shy of 900 in his career, all with the Canadiens. The 14-year veteran has one season remaining on a six-year, US$39-million contract.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2026.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press