SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 19: Brandon Montour #62 of the Seattle Kraken looks on during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Climate Pledge Arena on October 19, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The return of defenseman Brandon Montour will surely provide an instant boost to the Seattle Kraken lineup.
But only when the time is ideal for him to return.
Montour was missing from Thursday’s Kraken loss in Toronto, 4-1, which forcibly shuffled head coach Dan Bylsma’s hand with his available lineup, particularly among his three defensive pairings. But more pressing matters took priority, in the form of life and family – the birth of his daughter, Maison.
The milestone called Montour to return to Seattle and stay with wife, Riyan, who gave birth their son, Kai, just over a year ago while Montour was competing with the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. Montour nearly missed Kai’s birth, frantically taking a cross-country flight back east after learning of Riyan going into labor, shortly after the Panthers lost to Vegas, 5-2.
This time, plans were a little more streamlined, after Montour left the team following his hat trick in Tuesday’s 8-2 win at Montreal.
Bylsma told traveling media Friday on Ottawa that he was expecting an update on the return of Montour by early evening, but no official update has been confirmed, heading into late Friday evening. The Kraken visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, 4pm PT (950 AM KJR / Kraken Audio Network) at Canadian Tire Centre.
In Montour’s absence, Cale Fleury made his season debut shortly after a call-up from AHL Coachella Valley and slotted in with Josh Mahura.
The first signs of Montour heading back to Seattle and join family came in a post on X on Wednesday night from the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, whose Caledonia Corvairs, from 58 miles south of Toronto, retired his number 62 in a ceremony that evening and accompanied by Montour’s acknowledgement, via video.
“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it tonight,” Montour said in the video. “My wife’s expecting a baby girl, and I had to fly back to Seattle. Just wanted to reach out and thank, and appreciate everyone for making this happen.”
Montour, 30, has ushered in a terrific debut with the Kraken, after signing with them as a free agent on July 1 and just a week after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. The ninth-year defenseman is tied for second on the team and the blueline’s leader with nine points in 10 games, buoyed by four goals and among the league leaders with an average of 23:42 per game for time on ice.
Montour’s hat trick was the first of his NHL career, the third in Kraken history, and the first in a three-goal successive, “natural hat trick” variety for Seattle since Jordan Eberle pierced the Buffalo Sabres with three goals on Nov. 4, 2021.