The Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2024 but lost some key figures in NHL Free Agency. One key player who departed the team was defenseman Brandon Montour. Montour signed a seven-year contract with the Seattle Kraken after winning the Cup this summer. Recently, the veteran blueliner spoke more about leaving his former team.
Montour acknowledged there are some things he will miss. Especially the celebrations for the Stanley Cup victory the Panthers will put on. However, he is excited about joining the Kraken. And he has a similar goal to reach with Seattle that he had with Florida.
“There’s things obviously you’re going to miss,” Montour said, via NHL.com. “You miss the ring ceremonies, you miss the first games, you miss days with the Cup. … I’m not there, so it [stinks] in that point.
“But that page is completely turned. I’m excited about being in Seattle. I’m excited to experience that with this organization. That’s a big reason why I chose Seattle is it was cool winning in Florida for the first time as an organization. It would be cool to do that in Seattle, so that’s what the goal is.”
Kraken's Brandon Montour became a star with Panthers
Brandon Montour will have a lot of fond memories with Florida. It was with the franchise that he emerged as a premier offensive defenseman in the NHL. He had trouble sticking with the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks before joining the Panthers. However, he made an impact once he made his way to South Florida.
Montour made an impression in 2021-22 when he scored 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games. But he truly stood out in 2022-23 when he had his best season. The Brantford, Ontario native scored 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games. Additionally, he averaged seven more minutes per game that year than he did in 2021-22.
Montour's 2023-24 season was limited by injuries. The Panthers defender played just 66 games, but he scored eight goals and 33 points in those games. The veteran defenseman helped Florida return to the Stanley Cup Final. And they defeated the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to claim the Stanley Cup.
Montour has a chance to help Seattle in the same way, as he mentioned. The Kraken made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023, defeating the Colorado Avalanche in round one. However, they failed to make the postseason in 2023.
Montour and the Kraken could certainly make noise in 2024-25. Especially if Montour returns to his 2022-23 form. The new Kraken defenseman is likely to make his team debut on October 8 when they kick off the season against the St. Louis Blues.
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