Conference Call: Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher

MONTREAL - Paul Byron and Brendan Gallagher took some time to chat with reporters on Thursday afternoon.

The pair serve as the Canadiens' player representatives to the NHLPA.

Byron and Gallagher fielded questions on a wide range of topics, including the recently announced Return to Play format and the matchup against Pittsburgh in a best-of-five Qualifying Round series.

Here are a few excerpts from their Q&A session.

Question from Martin McGuire, Cogeco Media

Why is the Return to Play format a good plan?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER: I don't think it was anyone's first choice. I think the first choice was to finish the regular season as is, and be able to pick up a playoff format. But as time went on, things became less and less likely, so you have to get creative. This is really the only opportunity that works for the League and the players, in terms of giving everyone a fair opportunity and not taking that opportunity from a team with 10 to 14 games to go that could've made a push to make the playoffs. It really gives everyone who would've been in that mix a chance. Obviously, there are a few teams like ourselves who've kind of been given a second life. You try and take advantage of that the best you can. This is a situation where we've agreed on the Return to Play format, but I think there are still more details to cross and things to talk about as you move on in terms of coming up with a cemented plan.

Question from Richard Labbé, La Presse

You've agreed on this for now, but there's still a ways to go here. What would be some of the next few steps that could impact whether or not this actually happens down the road?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER: I think first and foremost player safety and the safety of staff and coaches, and everyone that's going to be involved. That's got to be the first priority. I think that's what everyone's talking about. As soon as they can assure the players and everyone that's going to be around the team that they're going to be safe, you go forward from there. There's a lot of little details that you take care of after that. I think that's probably the major one. Then you go into stuff that can be negotiated, but I don't think that's something that can be negotiated, as far as player safety is concerned.

Question from Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette

The NHLPA vote wasn't unanimous. Two teams voted against the format. What were some of the objections that players might've had? And also for Paul, with respect to your situation, you've got a wife and a couple of kids, how difficult is it going to be being away from them for that period of time, however long it is?

PAUL BYRON: It's going to be difficult. How long I'll be away for, nobody knows for sure yet. It could be two weeks, it could be a month, it could be two months. I guess it's something we'll cross when we get to that path. My kids are accustomed to being around me 24/7 for the last eight weeks, and they have a certain level of attachment. It's going to be difficult, but at the same time, we're hockey players and it's our job. There are points in the year when we have to leave for road trips. Unfortunately, that's just part of our job. It's something that we've learned to live with. Through technology and FaceTime, you can find a way to connect with your family even though you're not there.

In terms of the objections, no matter what format, no matter what scenario you're going to propose to everybody, I don't think you would've had a unanimous vote. I'm actually surprised it passed 29-2. I thought there would've been more objections than that. I thought 29-2 was a shockingly high representation. Why? We were 12 games short from finishing the regular season, and there's so much at stake. How would we have made a decision to cut it down to 16 teams? I just don't see how we would've been able to do that. I know a lot of teams would've probably preferred that scenario, but I think a 24-team scenario works the best for the teams that were on the bubble, the teams that were on the cusp of making it. So much can change, a two-game hot streak, momentum at the end of the year. There were teams that were losing games at the end of the year. There are teams that were winning games that were hot. Everyone just kind of got neutralized right now. No format is perfect. There's no process that's going to make things perfect. A lot of time, thinking, and effort went into this decision. You're never going to have a unanimous vote pass with 750 players. That's just the way it is.

Questions from Eric Engels, Rogers Sportsnet

Paul, Brendan mentioned earlier that you kind of get a "second life" with this opportunity. But you would've spent four, or potentially five months away from the rink, so you probably gained a new perspective on your team, versus when the season was paused and you were in the day-to-day grind of what was going on. To be able to step back, how do you view this opportunity that's being given to you right now?

PAUL BYRON:We don't know 100 percent yet if we're going back. You try your best to prepare in case you are, but the reality is we don't know yet. If we do go back, we've got a new life. It's no secret we had some injuries on our team. Guys were banged up. I was just coming back from injury. Jo was trying to come back from a wrist injury. Guys were playing big minutes for our team that probably wouldn't normally play big minutes if we didn't have injuries. We have an infusion of youth coming through the system right now, and some of those guys were given opportunities at the end of the year and made strides in their game. If you look at our team in July and August, it certainly looks a lot different than it did in March. That's the same for every single team. I think every team is going to get the advantage of that. I know Pittsburgh had guys who were injured and are coming back, and I think that's what makes this format potentially exciting for teams. Now everyone kind of gets a reset and everyone gets to go into the playoffs 100 percent healthy. We'll see what happens when we have to cross this bridge, but it's a big opportunity for us and for our young guys to gain experience and play in that competitive atmosphere. We'll see what happens.

For you Brendan, what's the discussion between all of you? And even though there's uncertainty in this scenario, do you guys not have to approach it as though it's going to happen so that you are as prepared as possible come that time?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER:You have to treat it as though you're coming back to play. For us as a team, you almost treat it as you have to go out and do what you have to do to become better players for your teammates. It's probably a challenge right now for most guys to find the proper equipment, to find every opportunity to get better, but you have to work with what you're dealt with. Slowly guys are starting to be able to get into gyms and get on the ice and put in that work, so the preparation is going to be there if we're called upon to go back and play. I don't think that really changed with the announcement. I think guys were pretty much doing that as soon as they got sent home. You kind of start your individual training. You just treat it as summer training and a chance to improve.

Question from Jonathan Bernier, Le Journal de Montréal

I would just like to ask you about Phase 2. Have you had any talks with your teammates about who could be back at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER: I can only really speak for myself. I have everything here in British Columbia. I have all the facilities and opportunity that I'm going to need to stay ready, so I'll probably stick around here as long as possible. Hopefully it becomes a better situation back in Montreal. I'm assuming it'll probably be similar for a lot of the guys.

PAUL BYRON:I know I'll be there. I train there all summer. I live 10 minutes from the rink. There are a few guys that are still in the city that I think will be there, too. Outside of that, I can't speak for other guys in terms of whether they'll return or not. I think the biggest challenge for that right now is having to come to Montreal and sit and do nothing for two weeks. That quarantine period is eliminating two weeks of training, two weeks of skating, and guys are going to have to ask themselves if they're better off coming to Montreal and quarantining early, or staying in the spot they are now. It's a personal decision for everybody.

Question from Jean-François Chaumont, Le Journal de Montréal

I know on the Pittsburgh side they're not really happy about facing Carey Price in a best-of-five series, but what can you say about facing Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Zucker? How would you describe the challenge the Canadiens will face against Pittsburgh?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER:I guess if they're unhappy, it's good for us. We obviously know what kind of challenge that would be. We'll be facing arguably two of the best players in the world. It'll be a challenge. But like any athlete, I think you look forward to testing yourselves, and you look forward to seeing how you hold up in those situations. It'll be a test for our group, for sure, especially with a lot of guys that haven't been given that playoff experience. We'll see how we stack up. To say we go in there without confidence or without belief wouldn't be true. If there's one thing I know about our group, it's that if we are given that opportunity, it's something that we'd welcome.

Question from Arpon Basu, The Athletic

Brendan, the last time you were on a call with us, we were talking about your contract situation and your desire to be in a winning organization. This situation presents an immediate opportunity to win, but perhaps getting a high draft pick would maybe improve the long-term ability to win. How do you sort of process those two things when you're trying to build a winning organization?

BRENDAN GALLAGHER: That's a pretty easy one for me to answer, maybe because I was taken so late in the Draft. But a high draft pick doesn't necessarily guarantee you a good player. An opportunity to be in the playoffs guarantees you a chance of winning the Stanley Cup, so for me it's pretty easy. Give me an opportunity to win now. You're not going to pass that up. You're going to add these prospects, you're going to add these players, and they're going to come in and help you, but it doesn't mean that later in the Draft you don't have that same opportunity.