Last night was a special one for Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland.
The forward played against the New York Rangers in a 4-3 loss at Rogers Arena while his wife was in hospital preparing for the birth of the couple’s first child.
Garland spent much of the day with her and was questionable to suit up for the contest. He managed to play in the game before rushing back to the hospital right after the final whistle.
“He’s gonna probably have a baby here soon,” said head coach Rick Tocchet postgame. “[He] was up at 3 in the morning, was up again at 7. No sleep, and he was our best player. What can you say? You love the kid.”
The Canucks are glad Garland played as he dominated the game. He finished with more than 20 minutes of time-on-ice and scored a crucial goal with a perfectly placed shot that tied it up at three.
Top shelf for Garly! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/KiZ5ymmVyr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 20, 2024
Teammate and close friend Dakota Joshua made sure to collect the puck after Garland’s goal. That will surely be a special one, especially if the child is born tonight as expected.
The 5-foot-10 forward also drew two penalties, giving the Canucks power play opportunities, throughout the night. He was truly all over the ice.
Tonight’s strong performance continued what’s been a great season for the American. He has five goals and 14 points in 18 games so far, putting him on pace for a career-high 63 points.
Garland’s effort last night was symbolic of the team as a whole. The Canucks fought through a variety of circumstances, including missing players to injury, dealing with the news that J.T. Miller is taking a leave of absence, and more to put up a strong fight against one of the NHL’s best teams.
It’s the first child for Garland and wife Meghan. The couple got married back in the summer of 2023.
Congratulations Meghan and Conor Garland!#Canucks pic.twitter.com/PCJiVMknF6
— SoapVox (@soapvox) August 12, 2023