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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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The Montreal Canadiens turned some heads when they selected 6-foot-3, 200-pound Russian forward Gleb Pugachyov with the 26th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft last week.
The 18-year-old Pugachyov has a reputation for being a bruiser who’s not afraid to lay a hit and get physical when needed.
During an interview with Daria Tuboltseva of RG.org, Pugachyov admitted that the Canadiens actually asked him about his fighting ability during a pre-draft interview.
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“They said: ‘You are a big player who hits everyone and is not afraid of anybody. Imagine that you already play for Montreal. We are facing Washington, you deliver a hard hit on one of their young players, and Tom Wilson immediately comes after you. Are you ready to fight him?’ Pugachyov told Tuboltseva.
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“I told them there would be nothing left of him.”
Wilson has been Washington’s enforcer for the last decade-plus. He has a track record of getting under opponent’s skin and goading opposing players into dropping the gloves.
The fact that Pugachyov has the confidence in the latter part of his teenage years to go toe-to-toe with one of the NHL’s notorious brawlers likely impressed the Canadiens front office enough to snatch him up at the end of Round 1.
Pugachyov also disclosed that Montreal asked him how he would respond if he hit new teammate Josh Anderson at rookie camp and Anderson got in his face.
“I answered: ‘There will be a fight,” Pugachyov replied.
Beyond his fighting prowess, Pugachyov has an evolving offensive game. He scored 10 goals and 24 points in 33 games with Chaika Nizhny Novgorod in the MHL, the Russian minor league, last season.
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