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If Guy Lafleur were choosing the next captain of the Canadiens, the C would go to Brendan Gallagher.

“I like the way he plays,” Lafleur said Wednesday after handing out the Guy Lafleur Awards of Excellence to top student-athletes in the Quebec university and junior ranks. “He shows up every night and gives 100 per cent. I think he’s a great influence on his teammates.

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“A captain shouldn’t be chosen on the amount of goals he’s going to score,” Lafleur added. “That guy (Gallagher) really impressed me every night I saw him play. He’s aggressive, he wants to win. He gets some bad shots from opponents, he takes a lot of hits and there’s not too many guys on the team that work like he does.”

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Lafleur, a Hall of Famer who now serves as an ambassador for the Canadiens, has never been shy about criticizing the team when it falls short, but he likes what he has seen in recent years.

“They did well,” he said when asked about the Canadiens’ 2014-15 season. “They finished second overall, but the bottom line is the playoffs and the Stanley Cup, and that’s what people want to talk about. The last three years with (general manager Marc) Bergevin and (coach Michel) Therrien, they’ve really improved — slowly — but they’re going in the right direction.