Brendan Gallagher Bids Farewell To His Mother Della
Brendan Gallagher - Photo credit: Bob Frid - Imagn ImagesShortly after welcoming the birth of his daughter, Montreal Canadiens’ alternate captain, Brendan Gallagher, had to make a different kind of announcement. The longest-tenured Hab took to his Instagram account to put out a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Della Gallagher, who lost her battle with brain cancer.
Gallagher’s mother’s courageous fight with the illness was made public in March 2024 when his sister Bree launched a fundraiser to raise funds for cancer research. Their mother was fighting a glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer. The average life expectancy after being diagnosed with it was just 14,6 months.
She received her diagnosis more than three years ago, though, as the family got her the best possible care, including revolutionary medical interventions at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she was still receiving treatment in October when I asked the Canadiens’ forward about it.
While it won’t come as much of a consolation to Gallagher and his loved ones right now, his mother at least got to be present at his wedding and saw him become a dad before she passed.
Gallagher stopped short of saying when his mother passed. Still, his wife, Emma Fortin, published in her tribute a short clip of Gallagher hitting his heart and looking to the heavens after scoring a goal on Tuesday night, leading us to believe it has been a few days already.
If such is the case, and he overcame the sadness to put on his skates and play his best game of the season on Tuesday, we wouldn’t even be surprised, given the strength of character and dedication he has always shown to the team.
Our deepest condolences to Gallagher’s family, friends, and all those affected by the tragic loss.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.