In honor of "Grampa" Gallagher

BROSSARD - When Brendan Gallagher was asked to get involved in the fight against cancer, he didn't hesitate for a second. Nor will he ever. After all, the 25-year-old lost his grandfather to the disease and he's wanted to pay tribute to him that way ever since.

"I was 17 or 18 when they discovered he had prostate cancer. It was the first time in my life I had to experience something like that. It was a first for everyone in my family," recalled Gallagher. "We just assumed he'd beat it, because that's what he always did. He fought his whole life and he continued to fight against the disease as long as he could."
Unfortunately, he eventually lost his fight to cancer.
"He was so important for me. He had such a positive impact on our lives that the message we want to preserve is the values he believed in," affirmed Gallagher. "Those values will continue to live through all of us. We still think of him every day and he's still a big part of our lives, for sure."
Instagram from @bgally.11: Once again I'll be growing out my #MovemberMoustache and donating money for every win we get this month because of this man. Huge influence on all us Gallagher's! Hope you all join me in the fun. #Movember #GrandpaMatt #GottaBringBackTheMullet
Gallagher's eyes light up when he speaks about his grandfather. He remembers spending Christmas at his house, visits he'd often make when he was younger, but above all, he remembers their postgame ritual.
"Whenever I played when I was younger, my grandfather would be waiting for me with a $20 bill. No matter if we won or lost, I'd have my $20 to spend on concessions," he remembered. "Every time, I'd buy something good for me and my friends. I'd always smile, because I knew I'd have $20 to spend!"
It was thinking about those $20 bills that led Gallagher to his first fundraising initiative in the fight against cancer. When he was playing for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League, he would donate $20 for every one of his team's wins. He even kept up the tradition when he moved on to the Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League.
"When he died, that's what I wanted to do. In Junior, that was a lot of money. Obviously, nowadays I can give a bit more," explained No. 11. "I love making donations, because it makes me think of him, I do it in his name and that reminds me of when I was a kid and he was there, sitting in the stands watching me play minor hockey and coming to see me afterwards."

These days, the donations are a little bit more significant, with Gallagher is donating $500 for every Habs win this month.
"So we're going to try to put together some wins from now until the end of the month so I can make a nice donation," he described. "It's in his name, it's to help me think of him."
Gallagher is also participating in Movember by growing out his moustache. Another cancer-fighting initiative is the Leucan Shaved Head challenge. "Gally" won't be taking part this year after he superstitiously shaved his head ahead of the Habs' game in San Jose last month, but he's not opposed to lending his hair to the cause next year.
"I don't think I was even invited to do it. I don't look good with a shaved head! The guys are just excited for my hair to grow back," he cracked. "It's coming back slowly. I look a bit too much like my dad! Maybe next year. Once is enough for this year."

As part of Hockey Fights Cancer, Canadiens players will be wearing lavender jerseys during warmups ahead of Saturday night's game against the Sabres, jerseys which will then be put to auction to raise money for Leucan.
On each jersey, the players wrote the name of a person to whom they'd like to dedicate their fight against cancer. It should come as no surprise, then, that Gallagher chose to write "Grampa Matt" on his.