Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher was playing through a hip tear before he was shut down for good after breaking his jaw in Game 5 of the team’s first-round series against the Philadelphia Flyers, general manager Marc Bergevin told reporters Saturday.
The Canadiens were ousted by the Flyers in Game 6 on Friday.
The 28-year-old suffered the hip injury in the Canadiens’ stunning qualifying-round elimination of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bergevin said Gallagher also underwent successful surgery for his broken jaw in Toronto on Friday and is returning to British Columbia on Saturday.
Gallagher’s jaw was broken after a cross-check by Flyers defenceman Matt Niskanen on Wednesday.
He had four points in Montreal’s nine post-season games.
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