Brandon Montour Thrilled for New Beginning in Seattle

«We're going out to Seattle at the end of the month,» said Montour at the Henrique Montour Golf Classic, a charity event on July 19 at Monthill Golf Club near Caledonia. «Obviously, my family and I are super excited to start something new. We're going to miss Florida and the time we had there, but it's a new chapter. We're excited to see the city, their passionate fanbase, and what a new team and facilities bring. I've heard it's unbelievable. We played there a few times, but I don't have much experience there. So, I'm excited to check everything out.»

Montour, who became a free agent on July 1, received interest from around the league. «My agent put all the work in and let me focus on just playing, which was easy. We were prepared throughout the year. It is a process.»

The process sped up after Florida won the Stanley Cup on June 24. «We decided ultimately that Seattle was the best fit for us,» said Montour.

Montour's roots are in Smoothtown, Six Nations, and Brantford. «My dad was born and raised in this area,» said Montour, who, along with his brothers, was born in Brantford.

The family moved from Six Nations to Tilbury before Montour started elementary school. He began playing minor hockey in the town of 4,000 on the border of Essex and Kent counties, then Chatham-Kent. The family moved back to Six Nations, built a home, and Montour attended high school in Brantford, playing U15 AAA hockey with the Brantford 99ers, then Cambridge Hawks (U16 and U18).

He played two Junior B seasons with the Brantford Golden Eagles before breaking out in 2012-13 with 67 points in 49 games with the Caledonia Corvairs. He then played part seasons in the USHL, NCAA, and AHL before making his NHL debut with Anaheim in 2016-17.

After three seasons with the Ducks, he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2019 and later to Florida in 2021. «We liked our time in Buffalo,» said Montour, «and the opportunity to play close to home. The COVID situation didn't help anything. Anytime you're on a team that is struggling to win or trying to find their way, it's definitely difficult. I enjoyed my time with those guys, but obviously needed a change.»

Montour now has an opportunity to help bring Seattle, which had a 100-point season and won its first playoff series in 2022-23, back to the playoffs after last year's 34-35-13 season. «That's what intrigued me a lot - they're trying to find ways to win now. You look at the personnel - the young guys coming up, the older guys - they've got winners there already.»

In addition to hiring a new coach, Dan Bylsma, the Kraken also signed free agent Chandler Stephenson. «I'm excited to see what we can do, and I'm excited to meet them all.»