Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher shared devastating news with his fans this morning, revealing in an emotional social media post that his mother, Della Gallagher, has passed away.
Della was diagnosed with glioblastoma — a highly aggressive form of brain cancer — back in August 2021. The public learned of her battle in March 2024 when Gallagher’s sister, Bree, launched a fundraiser to support brain cancer research.
Posting a series of cherished photos with his mother to Instagram on Thursday, the 32-year-old shared the following message:
“The best mom we could have had! Grateful for all the amazing memories we have. I will cherish them and remember them always.
Not a day will go by I won’t want to pick up the phone and call you, or give you a big hug [and] tell you I love you. But we will all charge on with everything you taught us making you proud every single day.
Rest in peace mom, I love you. I miss you.”
Support from his Canadiens teammates and the greater hockey community has already started pouring in, with the likes of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Jakob Dobes, and Michael Pezzetta already leaving comments on the post.
“All my love Gally,” wrote Jordan Leigh, the fiancée of fellow Habs forward Patrik Laine wrote.
“Thinking of you and your family,” Suzuki’s wife Caitlin Fitzgerald added.
“The best mom, grandma and mother in law. Forever in our hearts. Love you,” wrote Emma Fortin, Gallagher’s newly wedded wife.
Fortin, who gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier this month, also paid tribute to Della in her Instagram story. She shared a clip of Gallagher’s emotional goal celebration from Tuesday night’s win over the Ottawa Senators, which showed the Alberta native pounding his heart on the ice, captioned simply, “For Della.”
Selected 147th overall by Montreal in the 2010 NHL Draft, Gallagher is the longest-serving member of the Canadiens’ current roster.
It’s unclear if he will be in the lineup tonight as the Habs try to maintain their playoff spot as they take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.
