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Canadiens' Brendan Gallagher explains Twitter spat with former NHLer

sean leahy
Contributing writer
Getty Images
Getty Images

Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens won't be back in action until after 2016 arrives. After taking a Johnny Boychuk slapshot to the finger last month, he needed surgery on two broken fingers.

With all the downtime, Gallagher has used it to watch YouTube, manage his fantasy football team and get into a Twitter battle with former NHLer Jim Kyte, who said the Habs forward played with no honor.

On Monday, Gallagher met with the media for the time since the injury and his Twitter beef with Kyte.

“For me, one of the things I pride myself most on is being a good teammate. Maybe I shouldn’t have responded and given him a pedestal like that and I understand that side of it,” Gallagher said. “For me, I was sitting at home, I was frustrated, I saw a guy question my honor and my integrity and accountability, and that’s one of the things that I pride myself most on is being a good teammate for my teammates. It obviously frustrated me. I got my point across and moved on from there.”

Kyte was no angel either during his career, compiling nine seasons of 100-plus penalty minutes. Because of that, Gallagher said he hoped there would have been some understanding on Kyte’s part for the way he plays.

“I would have expected an understanding there of the way I played, and I understand not everyone has to like me, not everyone has to understand, but for me, like I said, I take a lot of pride in playing with that integrity toward my teammates,” he said. “I don’t like when it’s questioned, obviously everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. For me, I can be a little bit smarter about when I respond and when I don’t. At the time I was coming back from injury and going through a rehab, it’s a frustrating time. I responded and it is what it is.”

Said Kyte, via Twitter:

In now-deleted Tweets, via Dan Rice, Marchand, who Kyte lumped in with Gallagher, responded by informing him that no one watched television to see the veteran of 598 NHL games play.

Who would have thought Brendan Gallagher and Brad Marchand would form a tag team?

“Maybe the only time we’ll be on the same side,” Gallagher joked.

Stick-tap to Amanda Stein for the audio

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!