Montreal Canadiens veteran Brendan Gallagher has accused Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle of embellishing injuries, calling the alleged behavior “embarrassing.”
Gallagher spoke out about Stützle lying on the ice, seemingly injured, after Ottawa beat the Canadiens 6-3 in Montreal on Tuesday night.
“When I was 10 years old, our coach had a rule: If you lay on the ice and the trainers, or if the coach had to come on the ice to get you, you’re too hurt to play, minimum three shifts,” Gallagher said.
Stützle, 20, is in his second NHL season. He has 15 goals and 28 assists over 68 games for the Senators this season with a minus-27 rating.
Gallagher, who has played all 10 seasons with Montreal, noted that he has played against Stützle more than a dozen times since the Senators forward came to the NHL.
“More than half the games we’ve played against him, he’s laid on the ice and is right back out there next shift. He lays on the ice, he acts like he’s hurt, he sells the call, he’s on the ice that same power play,” Gallagher said. “There’s kids watching; we’re role models; and if I was a teammate of his, I’d tell him to smarten up.
“It’s just not a good look. Very talented player, very good player; he needs to stop laying on the ice. It’s embarrassing.”
The Canadiens visit Ottawa on April 23.