"It's exciting to know that a Native is playing in the NHL,"
Story by Aicha Smith-Belghaba, Eva Salinas • CBC
May 12, 2023
It's the second period in another intense NHL playoff game. On this particular Sunday, it's Game 3 in the series that has pitted the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Florida Panthers.
For most fans of the Leafs, the Eastern Conference second round has been, excitedly, the farthest their team has made it in 19 years.
But for supporters of the blue and white in Six Nations of the Grand River who were watching the game at a community centre, loyalties were torn. One of their own, Brandon Montour, is a star for the other team.
Arihwaiens Martin, who helped organize the watch party at Gathering Place by the Grand, said his entire family are Toronto fans, adding: "The Panthers, for me, [are] important because Brandon's on there. Number 62.
"I knew there would be the Leafs fans [watching]. That's through and through here on Six Nations. But then there's Panthers, you know — hometown hero, right?"
While adults watched the game on a big screen inside, about a dozen or so kids were running around in the front foyer, hockey sticks in hand, slapping pucks into a small net. For them, the defenceman — who, as of earlier Friday, had scored nine points for the Panthers in 11 games during these playoffs — is someone they look up to.
"It's exciting to know that a Native is playing in the NHL," said Jobi Isaacs, 13.
Eleven-year-old Bella Beaver, left, and a friend attend a Six Nations of the Grand River watch party. Bella plays hockey and was cheering for the Leafs.© Eva Salinas/CBC
Jobi said he's been playing hockey since he's "been able to go on the ice." Like Montour, he's from Six Nations, the most populous First Nations reserve in Canada.
Is Jobi the next Montour? "Maybe," he said with a shy smile and a shrug.
Garett Longboat, 11, plays with the Hagersville Hawks. He wants to make the NHL one day, and said Montour's playoff performance is inspiring.
Bella Beaver, 11, was standing nearby in a Leafs jersey. She plays for the Haldimand Rivercats and is sticking with Toronto. "Go Maple Leafs!" she shouted.
The Leafs enter Friday night's game down 3-1, so it's a must win as the series returns to Toronto.
Esenogwas Jacobs, left, attended the Game 3 watch party with her son Jamie, 6, her 15-month-old Ogwiyase and her partner, Rick Brant. © Eva Salinas/CBC
Esenogwas Jacobs was also at the watch party — a fundraiser for local language immersion school Kawenni:io — with her partner Rick Brant, his six-year-old son Jamie and their 15-month-old.
"I'm not much of a hockey fan," Jacobs said. "[Jamie] just started ice skating, so he's really into hockey…. We told him there was an Ogwehoweh guy playing and he was so pumped. He doesn't really know who he is, but he's excited that it's someone who we know that's from here."
Aunt gets 'complete joy' seeing Montour's success
Montour's star has been rising since the 29-year-old, born in nearby Brantford, Ont., was drafted into the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014. He played with the Ducks for nearly three seasons before being traded to Buffalo in 2019 and then to Florida in 2021.
A goal by Montour on April 30, with one minute left in the third period — the goal that tied the game against the Boston Bruins and helped send the Panthers on to the next round — caught the attention of many.
"This week has been crazy," Montour's aunt, Jaime Lynne Montour, told CBC Hamilton earlier this week.
"The further it goes, the more intense it gets, especially for those that know us and know that that's our family, right?"
Jaime Lynne, who's been watching Montour play since he was a kid and whose children have watched him their whole lives, said the moment feels "big."
"You hear from people across the nation, across Turtle Island, and they know your name? … To see your last name in the lights like that? Like, you know for a fact the ancestors, they're so proud."
Jaime Lynne said Montour "had great potential his whole life," and was always a great hockey and lacrosse player. She credits her family, including her parents and her brother, Montour's father, for helping to create "such greatness."
She recalls going to a game in Buffalo and her son choked up even before they had reached their seats, just seeing Montour warm up.
"I can't limit it to how it actually feels with one word. It is this overall, just complete joy that this person who I'm connected with, has truly found his purpose, and can truly excel and bring awareness for Indigenous communities, Indigenous children — give hope, where fear once limited us from being able to step outside that comfort, you know?"
Speaking to media ahead of Game 2 against Toronto last week, Montour said the support from back home "is huge."
"A lot of fans are rooting for us," he said.
Even diehard Leafs fans have been admiring Montour's on-ice performances.
Jaime Lynne recounted watching a recent game in a sports bar in Ontario, surrounded by blue and white.
"Me and my son are sitting there in our Florida Panthers [jerseys]," she said, recalling getting some boos from the crowd, until someone noticed her jersey was signed and asked about it.
"'Well, it's my nephew,'" she told them. "And all of a sudden, people's attitudes switch, right? Like, that's your family. They're like, 'He's doing amazing, he's having an amazing year. But you know, can you just tell him to stop?'"
It's the second period in another intense NHL playoff game. On this particular Sunday, it's Game 3 in the series that has pitted the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Florida Panthers.
For most fans of the Leafs, the Eastern Conference second round has been, excitedly, the farthest their team has made it in 19 years.
But for supporters of the blue and white in Six Nations of the Grand River who were watching the game at a community centre, loyalties were torn. One of their own, Brandon Montour, is a star for the other team.
Arihwaiens Martin, who helped organize the watch party at Gathering Place by the Grand, said his entire family are Toronto fans, adding: "The Panthers, for me, [are] important because Brandon's on there. Number 62.
"I knew there would be the Leafs fans [watching]. That's through and through here on Six Nations. But then there's Panthers, you know — hometown hero, right?"
While adults watched the game on a big screen inside, about a dozen or so kids were running around in the front foyer, hockey sticks in hand, slapping pucks into a small net. For them, the defenceman — who, as of earlier Friday, had scored nine points for the Panthers in 11 games during these playoffs — is someone they look up to.
"It's exciting to know that a Native is playing in the NHL," said Jobi Isaacs, 13.
Eleven-year-old Bella Beaver, left, and a friend attend a Six Nations of the Grand River watch party. Bella plays hockey and was cheering for the Leafs.© Eva Salinas/CBC
Jobi said he's been playing hockey since he's "been able to go on the ice." Like Montour, he's from Six Nations, the most populous First Nations reserve in Canada.
Is Jobi the next Montour? "Maybe," he said with a shy smile and a shrug.
Garett Longboat, 11, plays with the Hagersville Hawks. He wants to make the NHL one day, and said Montour's playoff performance is inspiring.
Bella Beaver, 11, was standing nearby in a Leafs jersey. She plays for the Haldimand Rivercats and is sticking with Toronto. "Go Maple Leafs!" she shouted.
The Leafs enter Friday night's game down 3-1, so it's a must win as the series returns to Toronto.
Esenogwas Jacobs, left, attended the Game 3 watch party with her son Jamie, 6, her 15-month-old Ogwiyase and her partner, Rick Brant. © Eva Salinas/CBC
Esenogwas Jacobs was also at the watch party — a fundraiser for local language immersion school Kawenni:io — with her partner Rick Brant, his six-year-old son Jamie and their 15-month-old.
"I'm not much of a hockey fan," Jacobs said. "[Jamie] just started ice skating, so he's really into hockey…. We told him there was an Ogwehoweh guy playing and he was so pumped. He doesn't really know who he is, but he's excited that it's someone who we know that's from here."
Aunt gets 'complete joy' seeing Montour's success
Montour's star has been rising since the 29-year-old, born in nearby Brantford, Ont., was drafted into the NHL by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014. He played with the Ducks for nearly three seasons before being traded to Buffalo in 2019 and then to Florida in 2021.
A goal by Montour on April 30, with one minute left in the third period — the goal that tied the game against the Boston Bruins and helped send the Panthers on to the next round — caught the attention of many.
"This week has been crazy," Montour's aunt, Jaime Lynne Montour, told CBC Hamilton earlier this week.
"The further it goes, the more intense it gets, especially for those that know us and know that that's our family, right?"
Jaime Lynne, who's been watching Montour play since he was a kid and whose children have watched him their whole lives, said the moment feels "big."
"You hear from people across the nation, across Turtle Island, and they know your name? … To see your last name in the lights like that? Like, you know for a fact the ancestors, they're so proud."
Jaime Lynne said Montour "had great potential his whole life," and was always a great hockey and lacrosse player. She credits her family, including her parents and her brother, Montour's father, for helping to create "such greatness."
She recalls going to a game in Buffalo and her son choked up even before they had reached their seats, just seeing Montour warm up.
"I can't limit it to how it actually feels with one word. It is this overall, just complete joy that this person who I'm connected with, has truly found his purpose, and can truly excel and bring awareness for Indigenous communities, Indigenous children — give hope, where fear once limited us from being able to step outside that comfort, you know?"
Speaking to media ahead of Game 2 against Toronto last week, Montour said the support from back home "is huge."
"A lot of fans are rooting for us," he said.
Even diehard Leafs fans have been admiring Montour's on-ice performances.
Jaime Lynne recounted watching a recent game in a sports bar in Ontario, surrounded by blue and white.
"Me and my son are sitting there in our Florida Panthers [jerseys]," she said, recalling getting some boos from the crowd, until someone noticed her jersey was signed and asked about it.
"'Well, it's my nephew,'" she told them. "And all of a sudden, people's attitudes switch, right? Like, that's your family. They're like, 'He's doing amazing, he's having an amazing year. But you know, can you just tell him to stop?'"
Brandon Montour shining for surprising Panthers: ‘I just wanted to run with it’
Breakout Season for Brandon Montour Has Fueled Florida Panthers
By Colby Guy
By Joshua Clipperton
The Canadian Press
Thu., May 4, 2023
TORONTO - Brandon Montour unloaded a one-timer and watched the puck hit the back of the net before dropping to one knee and sweeping his glove over the ice in celebration.
The third-period goal on a delayed penalty took the air out of Scotiabank Arena and gave his Florida Panthers breathing room on the way to a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For anyone not paying attention this season, Montour stepping up in a key moment has become the norm.
The 29-year-old defenceman nearly doubled his career high with 73 points in 2022-23 after finally getting the chance to play a bigger role in his eighth NHL campaign.
Largely a third-pair blueliner until this past fall, Montour was elevated to Florida’s second duo and earned power-play quarterback duties on the team’s No. 1 unit.
He was shot out of a cannon early in the schedule, and never looked back in setting a franchise record for points by a defenceman.
“Getting out there more, getting the opportunities, them believing in,” Montour said when explaining his rise ahead of Game 2 against Toronto. “I just wanted to run with it, take as much advantage as I can with that, and show what I could do.
“Things have been good.”
Montour, who also tied Florida’s high-water mark for goals by a defenceman in a season with 16, was selected in the second round of the 2014 NHL draft by the Anaheim Ducks before getting traded to Buffalo during the 2018-19 campaign.
He would endure parts of three miserable campaigns with the Sabres, including an 18-game losing streak in 2021, before mercifully getting dealt to Florida.
On top of Montour’s regular-season stats, his six goals through eight playoff contests — including a late equalizer in the Panthers’ dramatic Game 7 upset of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the first round — is the third-most by a defenceman in NHL history to start a playoffs, behind only Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey.
“I’ve tried to play the same way,” he said of his offensive explosion after putting up 37 points last season. “Numbers change with the amount of ice time and power play, but I think that was always a strength of mine.
“It was just a matter of getting out there and doing it.”
The product of Ohsweken, Ont., on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory — Canada’s most populous reserve and not far from Wayne Gretzky’s hometown of Brantford — has appreciated the support back home despite it being in the middle of Leafs country.
“It’s huge,” said Montour, who was also born in Brantford. “A lot of fans are rooting for us.”
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, in his first year in South Florida, said the blueliner’s fitness level gave him the foundation to get going following a tough training camp.
“Came out of the gate very strong,” Maurice said. “He starts putting up (power-play) numbers. That in turn allows his 5-on-5 game to settle.”
The third part of the equation was defence partner Marc Staal.
“Marc has been fantastic,” Maurice continued. “Marc is so incredibly consistent and experienced and knows the game and talks the game — is funny as hell. Those two guys just built a fantastic chemistry. Brandon has benefitted from that.
“He did the work to come to camp in great shape. He got the opportunity because he had some fantastic skills ... it allowed his game to settle. And then he got the right partner.”
Staal, who like Maurice is in his first season with the Panthers, has been impressed by Montour since Day 1.
“Knew he was a dynamic player,” said the 36-year-old. “But being on the ice every day and playing with him, he does some pretty incredible things.
“We rely on him a lot for our offence. He’s a big part of that. That pressure and responsibility was put on him. He just took it and ran with it.”
Montour was part of a number of blue-line tandems up and down the lineup last season, but has appreciated seeing that familiar, reliable face whenever he looks to his right.
“Great guy,” Montour said of Staal. “Keeps the room light, keeps me light. I like that connection.
“I know what he brings every night, he knows what I bring every night.”
Montour had one long playoff run with Anaheim as a rookie in 2017. It’s not lost on him these moments can be fleeting in a hockey player’s finite career.
And just like the opportunity he grabbed, the defenceman is keen to see how long the Panthers can keep this run going.
“It’s crazy ... time flies so quick,” Montour said. “This is my eighth season and we really had that one crack at it.
“You just want to win that much more.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2023.
Thu., May 4, 2023
TORONTO - Brandon Montour unloaded a one-timer and watched the puck hit the back of the net before dropping to one knee and sweeping his glove over the ice in celebration.
The third-period goal on a delayed penalty took the air out of Scotiabank Arena and gave his Florida Panthers breathing room on the way to a 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For anyone not paying attention this season, Montour stepping up in a key moment has become the norm.
The 29-year-old defenceman nearly doubled his career high with 73 points in 2022-23 after finally getting the chance to play a bigger role in his eighth NHL campaign.
Largely a third-pair blueliner until this past fall, Montour was elevated to Florida’s second duo and earned power-play quarterback duties on the team’s No. 1 unit.
He was shot out of a cannon early in the schedule, and never looked back in setting a franchise record for points by a defenceman.
“Getting out there more, getting the opportunities, them believing in,” Montour said when explaining his rise ahead of Game 2 against Toronto. “I just wanted to run with it, take as much advantage as I can with that, and show what I could do.
“Things have been good.”
Montour, who also tied Florida’s high-water mark for goals by a defenceman in a season with 16, was selected in the second round of the 2014 NHL draft by the Anaheim Ducks before getting traded to Buffalo during the 2018-19 campaign.
He would endure parts of three miserable campaigns with the Sabres, including an 18-game losing streak in 2021, before mercifully getting dealt to Florida.
On top of Montour’s regular-season stats, his six goals through eight playoff contests — including a late equalizer in the Panthers’ dramatic Game 7 upset of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the first round — is the third-most by a defenceman in NHL history to start a playoffs, behind only Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey.
“I’ve tried to play the same way,” he said of his offensive explosion after putting up 37 points last season. “Numbers change with the amount of ice time and power play, but I think that was always a strength of mine.
“It was just a matter of getting out there and doing it.”
The product of Ohsweken, Ont., on Six Nations of the Grand River Territory — Canada’s most populous reserve and not far from Wayne Gretzky’s hometown of Brantford — has appreciated the support back home despite it being in the middle of Leafs country.
“It’s huge,” said Montour, who was also born in Brantford. “A lot of fans are rooting for us.”
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, in his first year in South Florida, said the blueliner’s fitness level gave him the foundation to get going following a tough training camp.
“Came out of the gate very strong,” Maurice said. “He starts putting up (power-play) numbers. That in turn allows his 5-on-5 game to settle.”
The third part of the equation was defence partner Marc Staal.
“Marc has been fantastic,” Maurice continued. “Marc is so incredibly consistent and experienced and knows the game and talks the game — is funny as hell. Those two guys just built a fantastic chemistry. Brandon has benefitted from that.
“He did the work to come to camp in great shape. He got the opportunity because he had some fantastic skills ... it allowed his game to settle. And then he got the right partner.”
Staal, who like Maurice is in his first season with the Panthers, has been impressed by Montour since Day 1.
“Knew he was a dynamic player,” said the 36-year-old. “But being on the ice every day and playing with him, he does some pretty incredible things.
“We rely on him a lot for our offence. He’s a big part of that. That pressure and responsibility was put on him. He just took it and ran with it.”
Montour was part of a number of blue-line tandems up and down the lineup last season, but has appreciated seeing that familiar, reliable face whenever he looks to his right.
“Great guy,” Montour said of Staal. “Keeps the room light, keeps me light. I like that connection.
“I know what he brings every night, he knows what I bring every night.”
Montour had one long playoff run with Anaheim as a rookie in 2017. It’s not lost on him these moments can be fleeting in a hockey player’s finite career.
And just like the opportunity he grabbed, the defenceman is keen to see how long the Panthers can keep this run going.
“It’s crazy ... time flies so quick,” Montour said. “This is my eighth season and we really had that one crack at it.
“You just want to win that much more.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2023.
Breakout Season for Brandon Montour Has Fueled Florida Panthers
By Colby Guy
Brandon Montour is having a breakout season with the Florida Panthers as he has helped lead them to a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.
// Photo courtesy Roger Lee Photographer
SUNRISE — Brandon Montour has come up huge for the Florida Panthers time and again throughout this breakout season.
Of his 16 goals — which tied for the most in Florida’s franchise history by a defenseman in a single season — five are game-winners with two being scored in overtime.
Perhaps his biggest of the season fits in neither category.
With 10:24 to go in Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montour jumped up into the rush and fired a feed from Carter Verhaeghe past Ilya Samsonov to tie the game and eventually send it to overtime.
He might not have known it after John Tavares scored the overtime winner but that goal ended up securing the point Florida needed to clinch a playoff spot.
Montour was upset with himself for losing a net-front battle Auston Matthews on his deflection goal that put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 but the sting hurts a little less after the Panthers got the help they needed with losses by the Penguins and Sabres to officially secure a spot in the postseason.
”As a player growing up, and especially now that I’m getting the opportunity, I want to take the opportunity to and run with it,” Montour said.
”I trust myself. On that first goal, I was a little upset with that play, I thought I could have made something there but you shake that off and you want to make the next big play and luckily that puck popped out into the slot and I found the lane.”
His game on Monday was indicative of his whole season.
No matter what happened during a game or during a season where Florida has faced many trials and tribulations, he has been able to shake it off and make big plays for the Panthers.
Montour’s five game-winning goals are tied for the fourth-most in the NHL among defensemen.
It is one of many categories Montour ranks in the Top 5 among defensemen in during a breakout season for the ages.
As a 28-year-old, he went from being a bottom-pair defenseman and a second-unit power play quarterback with 37 points to ranking fourth at his position in points with 73.
His knack for finding holes in the opposing team’s defense and picking his spots at the right time has helped him reach those heights.
”I think you just have to be a little patient,” Montour said.
”Trusting your skating is important, obviously you have to make the defensive plays there. Especially on that goal there, it does not get noticed as much, but my partner made a heck of a play in our own end and you just watch where the forwards are.
”I trust my skating and I get up there when I can and obviously Marc Staal made a great play to Carter Verhaeghe and he just went right to the middle and I was right in the slot.”
Montour has credited much of his rise to coach Paul Maurice’s confidence in him with an increased role and the stability Staal has given him on his left side.
The 36-year-old does not get talked about a lot — and sometimes negatively after a few early season turnovers — but he settled in and has made huge defensive plays next to Montour.
And it has given him the confidence he needs to jump up into the rush often.
“It starts in our own end,” Montour said. ”You have to be patient and I have been working on that all year and I feel like I’ve been doing that all year and just being smart with that and bearing down on my chances.”
With the improvement of his game came more responsibility that he had not seen before in his career.
Florida needed to find defensemen from within to eat minutes after trading MacKenzie Weegar in the blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk deal after free-agency was all said and done and Montour answered the bell quickly.
He ranks 16th among defensemen averaging a shade over 24 minutes per game, which is six more than his average last season.
Montour had to shoulder close to — or even over — 30 minutes at times when star defenseman Aaron Ekblad went down with injury and his skating ability and endurance made him a viable option to answer the bell every time.
”The grind hits and he gets up the ice so very fast,” Maurice said Monday night.
”He is an incredibly fit man. We had him at 28 minutes and none of that is easy because against a team like Toronto, you have to skate. Then he gets up the ice in the third period and he has a lot in the tank.”
His skating ability is something that Staal — despite playing in the NHL for 16 seasons — has not seen a lot of.
”I knew he was a good skater but not at the level I have seen him play,” Staal said.
”A lot of times when I’m playing with him, I don’t think he is back and he is back. I’ll watch the clip after and I’ll be like ‘he was in position because he can cover so much ground so fast,’ and that part of his game is so impressive.”
Maurice has trusted him in many different situations because of it.
He quarterbacks Florida’s power play — and has even been the lone defenseman over Ekblad at times — and is also often trusted alongside Ekblad when the Panthers pull the goalie for the extra attacker.
Florida defenseman Brandon Montour celebrates with Sasha Barkov after he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Chicago on March 10.
SUNRISE — Brandon Montour has come up huge for the Florida Panthers time and again throughout this breakout season.
Of his 16 goals — which tied for the most in Florida’s franchise history by a defenseman in a single season — five are game-winners with two being scored in overtime.
Perhaps his biggest of the season fits in neither category.
With 10:24 to go in Monday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montour jumped up into the rush and fired a feed from Carter Verhaeghe past Ilya Samsonov to tie the game and eventually send it to overtime.
He might not have known it after John Tavares scored the overtime winner but that goal ended up securing the point Florida needed to clinch a playoff spot.
Montour was upset with himself for losing a net-front battle Auston Matthews on his deflection goal that put the Maple Leafs up 1-0 but the sting hurts a little less after the Panthers got the help they needed with losses by the Penguins and Sabres to officially secure a spot in the postseason.
”As a player growing up, and especially now that I’m getting the opportunity, I want to take the opportunity to and run with it,” Montour said.
”I trust myself. On that first goal, I was a little upset with that play, I thought I could have made something there but you shake that off and you want to make the next big play and luckily that puck popped out into the slot and I found the lane.”
His game on Monday was indicative of his whole season.
No matter what happened during a game or during a season where Florida has faced many trials and tribulations, he has been able to shake it off and make big plays for the Panthers.
Montour’s five game-winning goals are tied for the fourth-most in the NHL among defensemen.
It is one of many categories Montour ranks in the Top 5 among defensemen in during a breakout season for the ages.
As a 28-year-old, he went from being a bottom-pair defenseman and a second-unit power play quarterback with 37 points to ranking fourth at his position in points with 73.
His knack for finding holes in the opposing team’s defense and picking his spots at the right time has helped him reach those heights.
”I think you just have to be a little patient,” Montour said.
”Trusting your skating is important, obviously you have to make the defensive plays there. Especially on that goal there, it does not get noticed as much, but my partner made a heck of a play in our own end and you just watch where the forwards are.
”I trust my skating and I get up there when I can and obviously Marc Staal made a great play to Carter Verhaeghe and he just went right to the middle and I was right in the slot.”
Montour has credited much of his rise to coach Paul Maurice’s confidence in him with an increased role and the stability Staal has given him on his left side.
The 36-year-old does not get talked about a lot — and sometimes negatively after a few early season turnovers — but he settled in and has made huge defensive plays next to Montour.
And it has given him the confidence he needs to jump up into the rush often.
“It starts in our own end,” Montour said. ”You have to be patient and I have been working on that all year and I feel like I’ve been doing that all year and just being smart with that and bearing down on my chances.”
With the improvement of his game came more responsibility that he had not seen before in his career.
Florida needed to find defensemen from within to eat minutes after trading MacKenzie Weegar in the blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk deal after free-agency was all said and done and Montour answered the bell quickly.
He ranks 16th among defensemen averaging a shade over 24 minutes per game, which is six more than his average last season.
Montour had to shoulder close to — or even over — 30 minutes at times when star defenseman Aaron Ekblad went down with injury and his skating ability and endurance made him a viable option to answer the bell every time.
”The grind hits and he gets up the ice so very fast,” Maurice said Monday night.
”He is an incredibly fit man. We had him at 28 minutes and none of that is easy because against a team like Toronto, you have to skate. Then he gets up the ice in the third period and he has a lot in the tank.”
His skating ability is something that Staal — despite playing in the NHL for 16 seasons — has not seen a lot of.
”I knew he was a good skater but not at the level I have seen him play,” Staal said.
”A lot of times when I’m playing with him, I don’t think he is back and he is back. I’ll watch the clip after and I’ll be like ‘he was in position because he can cover so much ground so fast,’ and that part of his game is so impressive.”
Maurice has trusted him in many different situations because of it.
He quarterbacks Florida’s power play — and has even been the lone defenseman over Ekblad at times — and is also often trusted alongside Ekblad when the Panthers pull the goalie for the extra attacker.
Florida defenseman Brandon Montour celebrates with Sasha Barkov after he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Chicago on March 10.
(AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
”I think that goes back to maturity and experience,” Maurice said.
”Now he is on the power play, he has put up numbers, so he does not have to be up the ice the entire night indiscriminately. He picks his spots now to find the hole and then he can get into it.
”There are a lot of guys that can see the hole but there are not a lot of guys that can get into it.”
Montour has not gotten much love from national media in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, which is handed out to the NHL’s best defenseman, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
Combining his point total with his knack for showing up in big situations and stability on both ends of the ice, he fits the bill.
Not to mention the fact he filled a massive hole while Ekblad was dealing with and recovering from multiple serious injuries this season.
“I think when you have the emergence of a player like that and it’s extreme, when he goes from playing in the five, six hole to running a power play and putting up the numbers that he has, I think you can look at the individual and certainly say he’s been a key piece to our success,” Maurice said.
”As that relates to the Norris Trophy, who is the most important defenseman on a team, he might be able to argue that he is. When there is a guy that is scoring 100 points and there’s some defensemen with some big, big numbers, at the end, that’s the easiest measure and that’ll be looked at.”
Published 1 month ago on April 12, 2023
”I think that goes back to maturity and experience,” Maurice said.
”Now he is on the power play, he has put up numbers, so he does not have to be up the ice the entire night indiscriminately. He picks his spots now to find the hole and then he can get into it.
”There are a lot of guys that can see the hole but there are not a lot of guys that can get into it.”
Montour has not gotten much love from national media in the conversation for the Norris Trophy, which is handed out to the NHL’s best defenseman, but he certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
Combining his point total with his knack for showing up in big situations and stability on both ends of the ice, he fits the bill.
Not to mention the fact he filled a massive hole while Ekblad was dealing with and recovering from multiple serious injuries this season.
“I think when you have the emergence of a player like that and it’s extreme, when he goes from playing in the five, six hole to running a power play and putting up the numbers that he has, I think you can look at the individual and certainly say he’s been a key piece to our success,” Maurice said.
”As that relates to the Norris Trophy, who is the most important defenseman on a team, he might be able to argue that he is. When there is a guy that is scoring 100 points and there’s some defensemen with some big, big numbers, at the end, that’s the easiest measure and that’ll be looked at.”
Published 1 month ago on April 12, 2023
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