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The Canadiens are using Brendan Gallagher to help promote a new University Nights ticket special this season for Tuesday night games at the Bell Centre that allows students 18 and older to pay $39 for a ticket in the Coors Light Zone and also receive a free beer at the game.

The Canadiens sent out a tweet on Sunday showing three school photos of a young Gallagher, writing: “This young scholar was so advanced in his studies that he skipped Grade 7. We love smart kids so much we’ve launched University Nights at the Bell Centre for all Tuesday games.”

Gallagher did indeed skip Grade 7, but was reluctant at first to give the reason why after Monday’s practice at the Bell Centre.

“I don’t want it to be on record of why I skipped grade 7,” Gallagher said with a big smile. “It really bugs my older sister.”

After a couple of more questions about it, Gallagher finally gave in, saying: “OK, I’ll tell the story.”

It turns out that Gallagher’s family moved from Alberta to B.C. after he finished Grade 6 because his father, Ian, was going to be director of the new Delta Hockey Academy at South Delta Secondary School. In Alberta, high school starts in Grade 7, but in B.C. it begins in Grade 8 and Gallagher’s father wanted his son to be part of his new hockey academy. So Gallagher was asked by South Delta Secondary School to answer what he remembers now as some “common-sense” questions.