Gallagher Honors Late Mother After Scoring in Canadiens Win

GARDEN CITY — Brendan Gallagher, forward for the Montreal Canadiens, scored an empty-net goal in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, a moment that took on special significance as he honored his late mother, Della. Gallagher celebrated by pounding his heart and pointing to the sky, reflecting on the emotional journey he has been navigating since Della’s death earlier this month after a protracted battle with brain cancer.

“I’m really proud of her and her fight, her courage, and everything she taught,” Gallagher told reporters ahead of a game against the New York Islanders. “Everything I am is from her, so it’s a special relationship. She’ll be missed, but she’s with us every day, and there won’t be a day that I don’t think of her.”

Della Gallagher passed away while the Canadiens were on a road trip in Calgary, where they faced the Flames on March 8. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer in August 2021 and was originally given a prognosis of six to 18 months.

<p“She was so strong, so courageous, and really just the best mom,” Brendan recalled. “There are so many memories that I’m thankful for, but our whole lives, she did so much for us as a family. In the end, you try to cherish and hold dear the memories that you do have.”

In the wake of her passing, Gallagher noted that it has been a challenging time for him and his family, but the Canadiens organization has provided unwavering support. While in Vancouver for a game on March 11, the team arranged a 45-minute bus trip to Gallagher’s family home, allowing him to spend unexpected time with them.

<p“Just spent some time with us unexpectedly,” he said. “They’re helping us get through it. They’re a huge part of it, and the organization is doing everything they can to help us out. I’ve kind of been dealing with it, and hockey’s my safe place. That’s where I feel comfortable. I know that’s what she’d love me to do right now.”

Gallagher’s thoughts turned immediately to his mother after scoring the goal that sealed the victory against the Senators, coinciding with the day before her funeral.

<p“It kind of hit me right away,” Gallagher said. “First time the puck went in and, you know, I wasn’t gonna be able to call her, talk to her about it.”

<pCanadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who lost his own mother in 2014, empathized with Gallagher’s situation. St. Louis scored a goal on Mother’s Day shortly after his mother’s death during a playoff series.

<p“Going on the ice was your sanctuary; it helps you deal with a lot of things,” St. Louis said. “It brought me back to that moment, for sure. I had a lot of support from my team, and we’ve done the same thing for Gally. I think our family spirit here helped Gally, and continuing to play helped him and his family.”

<pJust days before his mother’s passing, Gallagher and his wife, Emma Fortin, announced the birth of their first child, a daughter named Everly Mona Della Gallagher.

<p“We have a little girl who shares my mom’s name now, which is really special,” he said. “Our daughter’s certainly going to grow up knowing who her grandma was, knowing what her grandma was all about and her passions. She’ll be proud to carry that name.”