USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Montour in Stanley Cup Final

Published on May 30, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Waterloo, Iowa - Brandon Montour had the best season of his National Hockey League career in 2022/23, and the former Waterloo Black Hawk defenseman will have the opportunity to keep playing into June as the Florida Panthers bid for the Stanley Cup.

Later this week, Florida will open the best-of-seven Final series on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights. Game One is Saturday at 7 p.m. Central.

The Panthers' appearance in the last round of postseason games will make Montour the seventh different Black Hawks alumnus to reach the Final. Mark Eaton (2009, Pittsburgh Penguins) and Zach Sanford (2019, St. Louis Blues) have their names etched on the Stanley Cup. Andrew Alberts (2011), J.T. Brown (2015), Joe Pavelski (2016 and 2020), and Craig Smith (2017) have also skated at this stage of the playoffs.

During the 2022/23 regular season, Montour played in 80 of 82 games, notching 73 points (16 goals, 57 assists) and finishing tied for third in team scoring. He recorded more goals, assists, points, and power play points (36) than in any previous season during his NHL career. For good measure, five of the 29-year-old's goals were game-winners, and two were scored in overtime.

Montour has continued to make significant contributions during the postseason, particularly during a first-round series against the Boston Bruins. Florida rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit versus the league's best regular season club; Montour stacked up five goals during those seven games, including a pair of two-goal performances. He added another goal in the next round versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. Montour now has six goals and three assists in 16 games during the 2023 playoffs. He enters the Final series tied with Vegas' Alex Pietrangelo for the most postseason points by a defenseman still playing for either of the two remaining contenders.

In Waterloo during the 2013/14 season, Montour was named the USHL Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year. His astounding 62 points (14 goals, 48 assists) came in just 60 games as the Hawks won the Anderson Cup for the league's best regular season record. Montour added another 21 points in 17 games the following fall before advancing to the NCAA for the University of Massachusetts.

A 2014 second round draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Montour's regular season career includes 454 appearances with 58 goals and 161 assists. No former Black Hawks defenseman has recorded more NHL points; even including forwards, only Pavelski, Smith, Jason Blake, and Brock Boeser have been more productive scorers.

After the series opener, Game Two is also in Vegas next Monday. Games Three and Four are June 8th and 10th respectively, both hosted by the Panthers. If necessary, Game Five (in Vegas) would be on June 13th, Game Six (in Florida) on June 16th, and a winner-take-all seventh game would conclude the slate on June 19th back in Vegas.

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 30, 2023


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