Brendan Gallagher has ultimately spoken something genuine about the Vancouver Canucks, and it is the precise message that the dressing room needs at this time.
Gallagher has remained largely silent with the media since his trade from Montreal to Vancouver this summer.
Up until now, he gave a brief press conference after the agreement was revealed, but nothing more significant than that.
In an interview with Kevin Woodley, Gallagher detailed exactly what he expects to contribute to his new team.
“Hopefully, there will be younger players that I can aid, hasten their progress in certain aspects of what it entails to be a professional,” Gallagher stated.
He didn’t even limit himself to improving skills.
“One of the things that sometimes gets overlooked, but that we did very well in Montreal, was establishing a really strong culture in addition to bringing in excellent players,” Gallagher stated.
In Vancouver, Brendan Gallagher shares his top focus, which is not scoring.
“That comes from your darkest days, and having guys who want to be present and engaged in the process,” he continued.
“Without culture, no organization, sports or otherwise, can exist, and that will be my priority above everything else.”
That’s a veteran talking about the precise item that has been missing from Vancouver since last season’s entire breakdown.
Last season, the Canucks finished last in the league with a record of 25-49-8, the kind of performance that usually destroys a young team’s confidence in itself.
Over 77 games, Gallagher scored 23 points last season—seven goals and 16 assists—which shows that he is no longer a scorer but rather a role player.
He was never going to be valued in Vancouver based on his stat sheet. It’s precisely what he described to Woodley in that conversation.
Time and a really lengthy rebuild will be the only things that will truly reveal whether Gallagher’s message actually takes hold in that locker room.
Fans in Vancouver who witnessed him suffer through all those years in Montreal are well aware of the kind of voice they’re receiving in their space.
