“At the end of the day, I think it’s a big point on the road,” said Brendan Gallagher, the alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens, while reflecting on the March 20 game against the New York Islanders. While the game ended in a 4-3 OT loss for the Canadiens, it was Gallagher’s goal that helped them salvage a point that proved crucial in gaining ground in the suspenseful Eastern Conference wild-card race. Gallagher put everything he had into that goal, all while dealing with a personal tragedy.
It has only been a few weeks since the star lost his mother Della to brain cancer. The tragic incident occurred on March 8 while the Canadiens were in Calgary. However, in a heartfelt gesture in honor of his mother, he named his newborn Everly Mona Della Gallagher after his late mother.
Another heartwarming moment occurred when Gallagher interacted with a fan last Friday. But what was it all about? Lucie Lachance, a Canadiens fan, took to X offering to return to the player his Hockey Fights Cancer warm-up jersey from 2022! Gino Hard reposted her post on X, and her warmth and kindness touched the fans. The jersey had mom written on it.
“This is incredibly kind of you, thoughtful and really appreciated,” Brendan Gallagher replied. “How about a jersey swap on the ice April 16th!” he added. And Lachance, with no hesitation, accepted Gallagher’s proposal. Indeed, a gesture of immense significance given that warm-up jerseys are no longer worn in the NHL.
Pure class from both sides
A fan offered to return Brendan Gallagher’s game-worn Hockey Fights Cancer jersey after his mom’s passing. Gallagher’s response is everything pic.twitter.com/14edYgQ0Cv
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) March 21, 2025
“Our whole lives, she really did so much for us as a family,” said Gallagher while speaking to the media about his mother. From the depths of the sorrow of losing his mother to the joy of welcoming his first child, to say that the Canadiens star has been dealing with extremes of emotion would be an understatement. However, instead of letting it all overwhelm him, the player came out stronger, not missing even a single game in that period. In fact, he found a way to honor his mother through the game he has dedicated his life to. On Tuesday, right after scoring against the Ottawa Senators, the winger tapped his heart and looked up at his mother.
While his dedication to the sport in this period of turmoil has been remarkable, fans equally appreciated the gesture he extended to Lucie Lachance.
Fans react to Brendan Gallagher’s gesture
Hockey fans continued to be in awe when they felt the camaraderie. One fan said, “This is why hockey players are the best! Some of the nicest players in all sports, period! Great stuff!” This one is trying to remind the world perhaps how hockey stands out from rest of the sports! Yet another fan took their stand and wrote, “This is why hockey is the greatest sport in my eyes you can’t beat the fan to players love and respect.”
Just then, another highlighted the pure intent behind the incident by writing, “This is amazing, nicely done. Not a guy wanting thousands of dollars, just a fan wanting to do something amazing.”
And, then there came another one who tried to capture it all in a short clip. A man humorously trying to wipe off his tears while saying, “Are you crying? No, I just have something in both my eyes.” Well, this one added a charm to the whole situation. Nevertheless, the emotions and feelings expressed by the fans reflected their kindness, just like Lachance, who thought of returning the jersey back to Gallagher so that he may be closer to his mom.
The post NHL Community Gets Emotional After Brendan Gallagher’s Heartwarming Fan Interaction Post Mother’s Demise appeared first on EssentiallySports.
