As Seattle Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour correctly points out, a hockey player should never complain about a short summer. That means the player was competing into June for the Stanley Cup.
Which is exactly what Montour did the previous two Junes, as a member of the Florida Panthers. The Cats lost the 2023 final to the Vegas Golden Knights, then won a seven-game thriller over the Edmonton Oilers last year. Also in that mix for Montour was surgery and recovery from a torn labrum, and a cross-country move from south Florida to Seattle.
So while Montour hoped to play past the 82-game regular season in his first year with the Kraken, there is a personal silver lining to the disappointment of missing the playoffs. And with his participation in the World Championship for Team Canada now complete, I asked the defenseman about – for him – an extended summer in this Kraken Reaction.