Montour inspires Indigenous hockey players

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Florida Panther Brandon Montour’s standout play in the NHL playoffs has caught the hockey world’s attention and made the former Chatham-Kent AAA Cyclone the talk of his home community of Six Nations of the Grand River.

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“Since he’s been doing so well, that’s all you hear around here,” said Florence General in between clearing tables at Village Cafe in Ohsweken, just down the road from Montour’s parents’ house on the First Nation southwest of Hamilton.

Her son, Calder, 11, is a defenceman like Montour and took an interest in the NHL this year because someone from Six Nations was starring in the playoffs.

“I told him, you should watch (Montour) and you can learn,” General said.

Now Calder is taking shots on goal from the blue-line just like Montour, a workhorse who, heading into Saturday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Vegas Golden Knights, was averaging 27 minutes 35 seconds of ice time during the playoffs and led defencemen with six goals.

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“Those numbers are huge,” said Randy Staats of the National Lacrosse League’s Halifax Thunderbirds.

Staats remembers Montour as a “competitor” who played consistent defence and “pushed the offensive tempo” when the two were junior lacrosse teammates with the Six Nations Arrows.

“He’s always been pretty crafty at lacrosse, and obviously hockey,” Staats said. “And look what he’s doing now . . . It’s pretty crazy. To see somebody succeed at that level is pretty cool, especially him being from here.”

Having someone from Six Nations shine on hockey’s biggest stage is an inspiration for young hockey players on the reserve, said Josh Isaacs, vice-president of the Six Nations Minor Hockey Association.

“If they see Brandon Montour in the NHL, they can look at themselves and say, you know what, that’s possible,” Isaacs said.

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Montour jerseys are a common sight around Six Nations, and Isaacs said some young players try to emulate the 29-year-old defenceman, who spent his high school years in Ohsweken after attending Tilbury Area elementary school for Grades 1 to 8.

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

Montour’s success comes as no surprise to his aunt and godmother, Jaime Lynne Montour, who said her naturally athletic nephew “was meant to be where he is.”

“He’s got that gift. He always did,” she said. “He wanted to be in the NHL ever since he was little. Ever since he had his first hockey stick.”

Montour fuelled his goal with self-discipline and a drive to be his best.

“He continues to excel and push himself to higher levels of potential in his passion,” his aunt said.

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“He has no time for distractions. He’s very focused on what he wants. And that determination really does show in where he’s at.”

Jaime Lynne Montour gave credit to Brandon’s parents, Cam and Tammy, for making sacrifices for their son.

“They worked hard so (Brandon) could have the opportunities that he had,” she said.

“It wasn’t easy. Brandon didn’t make it to the OHL. He tried out numerous times, but he was small for his age.”

A growth spurt was all Montour needed to maximize his sizeable talents, said Dave MacKay, Montour’s high school hockey coach and gym teacher at Assumption College in Brantford.

“Even in Grade 9, he could skate like the wind. Just a beautiful skater,” he said. “Very offensively gifted in terms of what he could do with the puck.”

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MacKay remembers Montour as being even better at lacrosse than hockey, with good instincts and the ability to control the play.

“We call it great hands. He had great hands to make things happen,” he said.

“He definitely stood out. He was a little bit small, but we always knew that he had a lot of potential and talent. By the time he got to Grade 11 and 12, everything was coming together for him.”

Montour won two gold medals and a silver with Team Iroquois at the national lacrosse championships while living in Tilbury.

Along with being a gifted player, Montour was a joy to coach, MacKay said.

“He was very confident, but a nice kid. Very humble,” he said. “Outgoing, personable, very polite. Just a great guy.”

Montour played junior hockey with the Brantford Golden Eagles and Caledonia Corvairs before accepting an offer from the Waterloo Black Hawks in the United States Hockey League.

“He went there and flourished and went to (the University of Massachusetts Amherst) and flourished, and then got drafted”55th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014, MacKay said.

To see her nephew — who used to play hockey video games with her kids while babysitting — now playing in NHL arenas fills Jaime Lynne Montour with “such a pride.”

She hopes Montour’s example will motivate Six Nations kids to reject stereotypes and “break barriers.”

“He’ll impact and inspire Indigenous youth for years, generations,” she said.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.