Pressure. Every player in the National Hockey League feels it.
Whether it鈥檚 from the fans, the media, the organization or just internally, it鈥檚 always there whether you鈥檙e a 40-goal scorer or a role player just trying to stay in the lineup.
Under normal circumstances, time with family and/or friends is an escape. It鈥檚 time when you can just get away from what鈥檚 going on at the rink and forget about the stress.
But for Delta鈥檚 Brendan Gallagher, now in his 12th NHL season with the Montreal Canadiens, going to the rink has become his escape.
In August of 2021, his mother Della was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer (Glioblastoma) in which she was told that she might have a year to live, perhaps maybe a year-and-a-half if she was lucky.
Almost three years later, she鈥檚 beating the odds.
鈥淩ight now, she鈥檚 as good as can possibly be. When we first got the original diagnosis, it was rough but the amount of people that have reached out and helped us鈥he first call I made was to (Vancouver Giants owner) Ron Tiogo, who put us in contact with someone who reached out to USC for us,鈥� said Gallagher after the Canadiens lost 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night at Rogers Arena.
鈥淔rom there, things got rolling. She was originally taken care of in Canada but we needed a little bit more and we got her down to USC where she got phenomenal care. She鈥檚 in good spirits.鈥�
Brendan has always been known as a tough, gritty player who is willing to pay whatever price it takes to win. Most believed that toughness came from his father Ian. In a previous life, this agent played against Ian Gallagher in the Western Lacrosse Association and can personally vouch that the former Vancouver Burrard was probably the toughest player in the league pound-for-pound. Ian Gallagher has been involved in hockey for many years as a strength and conditioning guru and works with several NHL players in the off-season in Ladner.
But Ian isn鈥檛 the only one who鈥檚 a fighter in the family.
鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible how tough my mom is. When it all first happened鈥er attitude in the hospital鈥he was making the nurses laugh. She is where she is at right now because of her positivity. She鈥檚 been a fighter her whole life and she鈥檚 not done yet. She鈥檚 going to keep kicking butt,鈥� Gallagher said proudly.
Gallagher has been dealing with his mother鈥檚 health issues for a while now but coming to the rink has allowed him to do what he loves to do and provide a brief respite from the situation.
鈥淥riginally it was kind of a shock and I wasn鈥檛 able to forget about it but I鈥檝e gotten better as she鈥檚 gotten better and I think my time at the rink is a place where I feel comfortable. My teammates have been incredible as well. I鈥檝e been pretty fortunate that way,鈥� said Gallagher.
One of Gallagher鈥檚 closest friends on the Canadiens is linemate Jake Evans, who says Gallagher鈥檚 attitude has been amazing throughout the ordeal.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 bring it up too much because he doesn鈥檛 want the extra attention but there鈥檚 been a few times where things were tough. I think it has to be one of the hardest things in the world to do but he comes to the rink every day with a smile on his face and works his butt off. He鈥檚 a true inspiration battling through that and his mom is putting up an unbelievable fight as well,鈥� noted Evans.
In an attempt to raise awareness for May鈥檚 Brain Cancer Awareness Month, Gallagher鈥檚 sister Bree, a student-athlete who plays soccer at the University of Calgary and his brother Nolan, a new member of the Burnaby Fire Department, are running in the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 5 to raise funds for the cause. The goal is to raise $15,000. As of Thursday afternoon that total sat at $13,032.
Gallagher isn鈥檛 too surprised to see Bree taking part, telling us she just completed a half-marathon in 1:45:00 but he had to poke some fun at Nolan鈥檚 participation, which has him worried.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how she鈥檚 going to do but surprisingly my brother is going to be running it with her. I don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know how this is going to turn out but I鈥檒l be there watching them,鈥� chuckled Gallagher.
Gallagher was very complimentary to the care Della received in Canada but he and his family believe that there needs to be more and that鈥檚 why they have started this initiative.
鈥淗opefully that (treatment received in the U.S.) becomes available to everyone in Canada. That鈥檚 the goal here. We want it to be available for everyone because we know without it our mom wouldn鈥檛 be here right now. That鈥檚 the initiative going forward and I鈥檓 proud of my sister and my brother,鈥� said Gallagher.
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OVERTIME
* Vancouver got two goals from Nikita Zadorov in the first period to jump out to a 2-0 lead, The two teams exchanged goals in the second with Conor Garland scoring for Vancouver before Juraj Slafkovsky replied for Montreal. Nils Aman tallied for Vancouver in the third to finish the scoring. Vancouver goalie Casey DeSmith made 16 saves in a winning effort while Montreal鈥檚 Sam Montembeault stopped 21 of 25 shots.
* Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has been praising his team鈥檚 ability to get inside in the offensive zone while denying the opposition the same defensively. 鈥淧laying inside is will, grit and getting there鈥t鈥檚 just getting there. The first goal with Laff (Sam Lafferty) in front, the goalie couldn鈥檛 see it. They weren鈥檛 moving him and we scored. Those are the goals we鈥檝e got to find,鈥� stated Tocchet.
* A trio of Montreal Alouettes made an appearance at the game with the Grey Cup in tow. Receiver Tyson Philpot from Delta and defensive lineman Brock Gowanlock from Cowichan as well as receivers coach Mike Lionel from Vancouver were shown on the video board during a break with the Cup. It was ironic that they were wearing Canucks jerseys with the Habs in town.
* TSN analyst Craig Button was working the Habs TV broadcast and we asked our former colleague for his thoughts on the Canucks and their chances in the Western Conference. 鈥淚 think there are six legitimate contenders for the Stanley Cup. You have the Canucks, Edmonton 鈥� you can never rule out Vegas 鈥� and then you have the three teams in the Central (Division). The Canucks didn鈥檛 get here by accident. They鈥檝e been really good. We know how good Demko is and the defence has been so good. Lindholm has to give more 鈥� I think he鈥檚 going to be a key. Not just in two-way play but he has to give more on offence. They鈥檙e a team that plays hard and I love what Tocchet has done with them. He is trying to harden them. I always say the playoffs are about who can go the hardest the longest. Rick knows that. That鈥檚 what he鈥檚 trying to do with this team.鈥�
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 鈥渢he Moj鈥� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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