A Montreal painter offers Brendan Gallagher a canvas made in honor of his deceased mother

The painter Jessica Boudreau was so moved by the death of the mother of Brendan Gallagher (last month, of brain cancer), that she decided to paint a canvas in honor of the player of the Canadian and his deceased mother. She was even able to put her on her own on Wednesday.

Jessica Boudreau is a Montreal painter and a great hockey admirer who managed to combine her two passions to make it a job.

Known for her portraits of athletes, including a majority of hockey players, she generally creates works ordered from her and bought, as was the case recently with Patrik Laine, who received her canvas as a gift to highlight his first match with the Canadian, and Sean Monahan who obtained it in the present of his lover. His donations of works are usually reserved for charity events.

This time was different for the 38-year-old painter who felt a “stronger than her” impetus to paint a photo of Brendan Gallagher embraced his mother, whom he had himself shared on social networks.

“When we heard the news of her mother’s death, it touched me in the heart. I felt that I had to do it. He has always been one of my favorite players on and outside the ice, because what he is, like no one, touches me. He does everything with his heart, ”explains the artist.

She finished her canvas in a single day, a first in her career! Then she contacted Patrik Laine’s wife in order to be in touch with that of Gallagher. She knew that the couple lived great emotions, just welcoming a baby and struggling with the loss of Brendan’s mother.

“I find that he gave his fans so much, it was my turn to give him that. For me, art is the best way to offer my heart. When I painted, I had tears in my eyes, “continues Jessica Boudreau.

Meeting of a life, with family

The sportsman’s wife was so touched when she received the photo of Jessica’s work that she sent her to her lover. He wrote directly to the painter, telling her that he wanted to meet her.

Brendan Gallagher invited Jessica and his family (all of Canadians fans, proof: the three children have names of players!) To attend Wednesday training.

“It was an honor to meet him. It was really difficult not to cry, ”says the artist.

“It is so fine!” He took photos, offered autographs, taken videos, whatever you want! My children had made him drawings, including my 10 year old son, that his hockey team nicknamed little Gallagher. He signed his hockey stick, he is really special as a human, ”she says.

Brendan Gallagher was very generous, without even being aware that Malkin, the 10 -year -old son of Jessica Boudreau, had survived a brain tumor at the age of 5.

“His scar makes his head. It is called the warrior (the warrior). But I didn’t want to talk about this with Gallagher. That it was as generous with children, without knowing that, shows how much he has a good heart, ”she breathes.

She specifies in passing that only Brendan Gallagher deserved to take over the number 11 of Saku Koivu (who also fought cancer in the early 2000s).

Behind her canvas, the painter stuck photographs from Brendan Gallagher with her mother, a photo of her daughter’s little feet and another with her team when he scored his two famous goals.

“I wanted it to be a time capsule of love. I wanted to do something special to bring a little joy in this difficult moment. It touched him. He was without a word, just like his wife, “adds the artist who, since the illness of his son, tries to” live every day with kindness, joy and love, while being filled with recognition. “

Moving evening

During the game on Wednesday evening (which Jessica and her family were able to attend), a lady named Lucie Lachance was able to exchange a sweater with Brendan Gallagher. She had offered him, a few weeks ago, to give him a jersey that the player had carried in 2022 during the evening “hockey to defeat cancer”.

The gift proposed by this lady also occurred following the death of Della Gallagher, Brendan’s mother and gave rise to another moving moment.