Brandon Montour

Brandon Montour (born April 11, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL). Montour was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round, 55th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Montour won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers in 2024.

Early life
Montour is of Mohawk descent and spent part of his childhood in Ohsweken, a village in the reserve of Six Nations of the Grand River. His father is First Nations and his mother is not. Montour spent eight years living in Tilbury, Ontario, where he completed his elementary education. He then moved to Ohsweken and attended Assumption College School, in Brantford, Ontario. Montour also grew up playing minor lacrosse in Windsor, then with the Six Nations Rebels of the OJBLL, before winning a Minto Cup with the Six Nations Arrows. Montour also played in lacrosse tournaments with Nick Ritchie, a future teammate on the Ducks, as well as Ritchie's brother, Brett Ritchie, who played for the NHL's Arizona Coyotes.

Playing career
Montour started his hockey journey playing minor hockey in Cambridge, Ontario, prior to joining the Brantford Golden Eagles hockey club in 2010–11. Montour then joined the Caledonia Corvairs for one season in 2012–13 where he played against head coach David Brennan of the Thorold Blackhawks

Montour played with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and one season with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he became the highest NHL draft pick in their school program's history after being drafted in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim Ducks
Montour began his professional career at age 21 with the Anaheim Ducks' affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) towards the end of the 2014–15 season. He would then play the entire 2015–16 season with the Ducks' relocated AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Montour was selected to the 2017 AHL All-Star game for the second consecutive year. Despite not playing the entire season for the Gulls, Montour had amassed 21 points in only 25 games.

Montour spent the first half of the 2016–17 ice hockey season with San Diego before he was called up to Anaheim on December 28, 2016. He made his NHL debut on December 29 against the Calgary Flames. Montour scored his first NHL goal in his sixth game against Tampa Bay Lightning on February 6, 2017. He finished the season with 4 assists and 2 goals in 27 games, then provided 7 more assists in the next 17 games of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Montour stuck with Ducks for the entirety of the 2017–18 season and put up a new personal best of 32 points in 80 games. At the conclusion of the season, with Montour as a restricted free agent, the Ducks signed him to a two-year contract.

Buffalo Sabres
Montour began the 2018–19 season returning for his third season with the Ducks. Montour led Anaheim defensemen with 25 points through 62 games, however with the Ducks out of a playoff spot approaching the trade deadline, Montour was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Brendan Guhle and a 2019 first-round pick on February 24, 2019.

Florida Panthers
On April 10, 2021, Montour was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

After signing a three-year extension in Florida, Montour experienced a breakout in the 2022–23 season, nearly doubling his personal best with 16 goals and 73 points, the latter of which tied for fifth in the league among defensemen. His 5 goals in 7 games led all defensemen through the first round of the 2023 playoffs. During the 2024 playoffs, Montour helped the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup.

Seattle Kraken
On July 1, 2024, Montour signed as a free agent to a seven-year, $49.98 million deal with the Seattle Kraken.

International play
On April 29, 2019, Montour was selected to make his international debut after he was named to the Canadian national team for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Slovakia. On May 13, 2019, during a 6–5 victory over host nation Slovakia, Montour suffered a tournament ending lower body injury, he finished scoreless through 3 games for Canada. Canada lost the final to Finland to finish with the silver medal.