Lucie Lachance, a Montreal Canadiens fan, tagged Gallagher in a post on X, offering to return to him his Hockey Fights Cancer warm-up jersey from 2022 following the passing of his mother, Della.
At the bottom of the jersey, where players could write who they fight for, Gallagher had written “Mom.”
Touched by Lachance’s gesture, Gallagher responded on X: “This is incredibly kind of you, thoughtful and really appreciated!” He then proposed a jersey swap on the ice on April 16, which Lachance accepted.
Given that special warm-up jerseys are no longer worn in the NHL, the gesture carried even more significance.
Gallagher publicly announced his mother’s passing on Thursday, sharing that she had battled brain cancer for three and a half years after initially being given just six to 18 months to live.
“Our whole lives, she really did so much for us as a family,” Gallagher said while speaking to the media. “You try to cherish the memories that you do have.”
He added, “The way the team supported and helped me out, I wouldn’t have gotten through it without them. 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.”
