Brendan Gallagher Shares Happy News After Canadiens’ Win; Welcomes Baby Girl with Wife Emma Fortin
After helping the Montreal Canadiens secure a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night, Brendan Gallagher, the team’s alternate captain, had even more joyful news to share. In a heartwarming post-game interview, Gallagher revealed that he and his wife, Emma Fortin, had welcomed a baby girl into the world just a week prior.
“I’m a dad now. It’s been a week now,” Gallagher said, explaining that his recent leave of absence from the team was due to the birth of his daughter. “So it’s new. Obviously, it’s a little less sleep than I’m used to, but it’s been awesome. … I’ve enjoyed it. Emma’s been awesome. We’re learning on the go here, but so far we love every second of it.”
Gallagher, 32, and Fortin, 28, first met in 2021, and since then, their relationship has blossomed into a loving marriage and now, parenthood. Fortin, originally from the Montreal suburb of Sainte-Julie, is a PhD candidate who studied at the bilingual business school HEC Montreal.
The couple got engaged in July 2023 during a scenic trip to Whistler, B.C., at Lost Lake, a place that held sentimental value to them. Fortin later shared on Instagram that it was the same location where her parents had gotten engaged nearly three decades earlier, calling the moment “so magical.”
In July 2024, the couple tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony held at Maison Principale, a luxury event space in Montreal. The reception, which was adorned with white candles and flowers, had a fairy tale ambiance, marking the beginning of their married life together.
Gallagher and Fortin had shared their pregnancy news in December 2024, with a heartfelt Instagram post reading, “Baby Gallagher coming this winter,” accompanied by a photo of the couple and their dog, Skye. The dog, adopted in 2022, has been an integral part of their growing family.
Now, with the arrival of their baby girl, the couple is receiving an outpouring of congratulations from friends, family, and fans alike. On social media, the messages of support are flooding in. TVA Sports reporter Anthony Martineau congratulated the couple in French, while fans on the r/Habs subreddit shared their excitement as well, with one commenter playfully noting, “I knew it! I thought I noticed dad-strength Gallagher the past couple games!”
As Gallagher gears up for a road trip with the Canadiens, which includes games in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Seattle, he reflected on how becoming a father has changed his perspective. “It’s hard to leave,” he admitted, adding that while the transition to fatherhood has been overwhelming at times, it’s been “a feeling that’s hard to describe.”
For Gallagher, this new chapter in his life promises to bring both challenges and joys, and fans are excited to see how his new role as a dad might motivate him even further on the ice. The Canadiens and their supporters will be rooting for both his continued success on the ice and his new adventures at home with his growing family.