One NHLer’s family has gotten a tiny bit bigger! Former Montreal Canadiens player Brendan Gallagher and his wife have announced the arrival of their newborn baby girl.
On Monday, Gallagher and Emma Fortin made a joint Instagram post sharing the news with the world. The couple — who tied the knot in July 2024 — included a black-and-white picture of their hands holding their daughter. In the caption, Fortin included the number four with a white heart emoji.
In the snapshot, Fortin can also be seen wearing four bracelets, two of which were matching and included the names of the duo’s two children. One had Everly for the couple’s eldest daughter, who was born in February 2025. The second featured their new baby’s name, Ella.
The name is seemingly a tribute to Gallagher’s mother, Della, who died on March 7, 2025, at 66 in Delta, B.C. She’d been living with brain cancer for more than three years.
Across social media, people shared their support for the family and their new addition. Some told Gallagher that his late mom would be happy.
“Most beautiful little girls inside and out,” Paola Anderson, the wife of Canadiens forward Josh Anderson, noted.
“Congrats to [Gallagher], the best girl dad. You deserve all the happiness in the world and your mamma is proud of you,” an Instagram user penned.
“Congrats to the Gallys for the new addition! Love the name, pretty sure Gally will think of his mom even more!” one person on X wrote.
The baby news comes a couple of months after the Habs traded Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks for the upcoming season. The 34-year-old athlete will be entering his 15th NHL season after playing for the Canadiens for 14 years. Gallagher, who was born in Edmonton but grew up south of Vancouver in Tsawwassen, B.C., had expressed interest in playing for his hometown team prior to the trade.
When he was officially traded, Gallagher shared it might’ve been a poorly kept secret that he’d been hoping to move back home for both his career and his family.
“I’m extremely excited to be a Canuck, and to embrace everything about it, and to get going with the guys,” he said on June 29. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Gallagher and Fortin announced on Feb. 15 that they were expecting their second child. They shared photos from a couple’s maternity shoot by the water during golden hour, with a caption that read: “Soon to be four.”
Back then, other NHL WAGs and fans shared their excitement over the baby news.
“Pregnancy announcement of a dream, oh my gosh, these are so beautiful,” Jordan Leigh Laine, the wife of Montreal Canadiens right winger Patrik Laine, commented. “So happy for you three!”
“Sooo excited!” Caitlin Suzuki, wife of Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, added.
“Congratulations to the perfect family,” one person wrote, along with four white heart emojis. “I can’t wait to meet this baby!”
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