Brendan Gallagher opens up about his mom Della's courageous battle with Stage 4 brain cancer: "I'm really proud of her fight"

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher recently opened up about his mother, Della, who died earlier this month after a courageous battle with stage 4 brain cancer. Della Gallagher had been battling stage 4 brain cancer since her diagnosis in August 2021, with doctors originally giving her six to eighteen months to live. At the time of her death, the Canadiens were on a road trip to face the Calgary Flames on Mar. 8.

Ahead of the Montreal Canadiens' Thursday's 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders, Gallagher remembered his mother.

“It’s been a heavy week. Obviously my mom has been fighting class 4 brain cancer for 3 & a half years. It was in August (2021), shortly after we made the Finals, we got a diagnosis of her condition. The family was kinda fighting for many years there," he said.

Gallagher expressed immense pride in his mother's resilience and courage:

"She did an unbelievable job. They gave her 6-8 months to live. The amount of time that we were able to spend with her & get with her, the treatment she got, the doctors she got. I’m really proud of her fight."

Brendan Gallagher described his mother as an incredibly strong and courageous woman who was, above all, the best mother one could hope for.

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Brendan Gallagher dedicates empty-net goal to late mother before funeral

Brendan Gallagher dedicated his empty-net goal to his late mother whose funeral was scheduled for the day after the game. In Tuesday's matchup against the Ottawa Senators, Gallagher clinched a 6-3 win after scoring an empty-net goal. However, the thrill of the game was quickly overshadowed by personal loss.

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

Gallagher has amassed 29 points through 17 goals and 12 assists in 68 games this season. Meanwhile, following Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Islanders, the Canadiens hold second place in the East's wild card standings.

The Habs host the Colorado Avalanche at Centre Bell Arena next on Saturday with the puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.