Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher Disciplined For Dirtiest Hit Of The NHL Season

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher was disciplined during Thursday night’s game against the Islanders for what many believe is the dirtiest hit so far of the 2023-24 NHL season.

Brendan Gallagher received a 5-minute major and a Game Misconduct penalty for the illegal check to the head of skater Adam Pelech who was completely blind to Gallagher’s approach.

Gallagher has also been called for a disciplinary hearing on Friday by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety where they will determine any additional punishments such as fines and/or suspensions. Meanwhile, Adam Pelech skated off the ice clearly in a daze after the blind hit to his head that resulted in him splayed out on the ice.

Brendan Gallagher receives a five-minute major and game misconduct for an illegal check to the head on Adam Pelech. pic.twitter.com/k3NKyZqanh

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 26, 2024

“That is a bad, bad hit. That is a chicken wing elbow that got away from his body right into the jaw.”… There is simply no justification for a hit like that. None.

He crouched up blindly and quietly with Adam Pelech looking the other way. Pelech had also already dumped the puck. And hockey is a sport where fanbases almost always blindly defend their players in the face of damning evidence of dirty play, but even Habs fans cannot delude themselves into thinking this hit was justified whatsoever.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety made no mention about the hearing being in-person but the hearing will be held today. Hockey fans are predicting a 2+ game suspension but there’s no telling what the punishment will actually be until they announce it.