Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher has been playing with a heavy heart.
Gallagher revealed Thursday that his mother, Della, passed away earlier this month after a battle with cancer.
"Our whole lives, she really did so much for us as a family," Gallagher said. "You try to cherish the memories that you do have."
Gallagher said his mother had been fighting brain cancer for three-and-a-half years after originally being given only six-to-18 months to live. He said she died on March 8 while the Canadiens were in Calgary. Gallagher's family lives in British Columbia, so he was able to spend time with them in the days after his mother's passing as the Canadiens played the Canucks on March 11.
"The way the team supported and helped me out, I wouldn't have gotten through it without them," Gallagher said, revealing that his daughter shares a name with his mother. "Everything I am is from her, it's a special relationship. She will be missed, but she's with us every day and there won't be a day I won't think of her."
Gallagher hasn't missed a game in the days since his mother's passing but did get a chance to pay tribute to her when he scored a goal Tuesday against the Senators. After clinching the victory with an empty-net score, Gallagher touched his chest and looked up towards the sky as his teammates celebrated around him.
"Hockey is my safe place," Gallagher said. "It's kinda been the thing that's helped me get through it."
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