Letting It Play(list) Out, On and Off the Ice 

Captain or no captain, that is a question to be answered in the coming days as the Kraken official roster settles between 21 and 23 players for the Oct. 8 matinee season opener. No matter the answer to whether a player/wears the “C,” there is no questioning needed about whether an NHL team needs more than one leader.

That’s why three-season alternate captain Jordan Eberle welcomes the prospect of new defenseman Brandon Montour joining the leadership group that both exhorts teammates and serves as an ad hoc advocacy committee for Dan Bylsma and the coaching staff.

“The more, the merrier," said Eberle Wednesday after a training camp workout. “The more guys pulling on the rope, the better you're going to do, right? The success he had last year [Montour winning the Stanley Cup with Florida], we're going to lean on that ... you’re always going to have ups and downs during a season. When you do, you need guys who have that experience and went on to win Cups [newcomer Chandler Stephenson and fellow alternate captains Yanni Gourde and Jaden Schwartz are three examples]. He [Montour] is definitely one of those guys and a guy we’re going to lean on.”

Embracing Leadership

For his part, Montour embraces the role of team leader. He respects his Kraken teammates too much to make any sweeping statements, yet clearly, his leadership on and off the ice is on his Seattle radar.

“It’s not about what’s on your jersey,” said Montour, referring to which Kraken players might wear “A” or maybe even a “C. “I'm who I am, and leadership is a big part of that. That’s a big reason why I decided to come here, because I feel like I can fit in and help out with my leadership aspect.”

Montour is a natural leader. Some recent proof? On his first day working out at the team’s training center before camp officially started, the 6-foot, 199-pound defenseman noticed “the gym was a little quiet, the tunes were a little odd.” He took it upon himself to handle music selections because “it’s kind of a big part of everyone’s day.”

“Nobody else was doing it,” said Montour about the informal workouts the veterans were undertaking before the start of training camp. “I waited a couple of days. I didn't want to come in too hot. I didn't want to be that guy ... Then, I think on day one of camp, there was no music on. I’m like, 'alright, this is day one; it's still nice outside. Music brings a lot to a day, and especially as you go through seasons, maybe you’ve lost a couple of games. You don't forget about the past, but you’ve gotta move on. Music helps with that.”

Team DJ in the Making?

Montour’s Florida teammate and pal Josh Mahura, who signed with the Kraken on July 1, too, hinted during a recent scrum that “he’s honestly already tried to take over” when Kraken Hockey Network personality Piper Shaw brought up Montour’s DJ work in Florida’s locker room. Solid question from Shaw, whose own songs and music can be discovered on Amazon Music Unlimited and other popular music apps.

“He researches that a lot, the music,” said Mahura, smiling. “He gets a set playlist for game days. At certain times, certain songs come on. He really takes ownership, but he does a good job.”

Montour said his playlists in Florida featured “a little bit of everything,” with players’ tastes wide-ranging and the difference in performers between North America and Europe. He scales from “rap, easy kind of music, unique country music, rock” among varied genres.

Mahura, 26, said the 30-year-old Montour’s off-ice contributions go way beyond music: “I know Brandon pretty well. He's an awesome guy, especially in the locker room. From the moment I started playing with him, he was always really great for me, just being a guy that I could lean on in any situation ... He's a really competitive player, and he shows that every single night. Whether you're in the fight or out, he's always trying to drag the guys into it. That’s a great aspect to have on your team.”

Getting Vocal About Energy, Compete Level

Even though veteran defenseman Adam Larsson and Montour have not worked in the same group in camp so far, Larsson knows “a great thing” when he sees and hears it.

“I mean, the on-ice performance speaks for itself,” said Larsson at camp this week when asked about Montour organically becoming part of the leadership core. “He's a very, very effective player that brings a lot of energy on the ice. And he’s a vocal guy in the locker room. We haven't really been in the same groups, so I'm sure I'll see a lot more of him and his personality moving forward. That's a great thing. I don't think you can get enough guys that bring that sort of energy."

Coach Dan Bylsma has already likened Montour’s relentless energy and compete level to the aforementioned Gourde, which should be a vivid comparison for Kraken fans. Gourde says both Montour and fellow big-name free agent Chandler Stephenson are “tremendous skilled players who work hard” and will “help us play faster than I think we did last year.”

Jordan Eberle would like in on Montour’s compete level component: “It’s always good to have guys that speak up in the locker room. I've played against Monty for a number of years, even going back to when he was a rookie. We had some playoff games. I hated playing against him. We'd always get into it with each other. He’s a competitor, I'm a competitor. We seemed to butt heads a lot. I was pretty happy to see he didn't have to play against me anymore.”

Accepting and Executing the Role

Kraken Hockey Network analyst Eddie Olczyk admits he is biased about how much he admires Montour.

“I've known him since he was 17 years old,” said Olczyk, a storied NHLer and Cup winner himself. “He played with my son, Nick [now an analyst for the Utah Hockey Club]; I've seen him go from not even being ranked in his draft year by NHL Central Scouting to being a top 25 North American skater at the final rankings his draft year [Anaheim second round, No. 55 overall, 2014]. To see what he did in the USHL and then going to UMass and then strong AHL years to the callup by the Ducks [late December 2016 and subsequently playing in 17 playoff games that season], he clearly kept working to get to the next level.

“The leadership part comes with experience. It comes with winning. It comes with accepting and executing your role, right? NHL layers have to do two things: accept and execute. And when you look at what Monty's been able to do, teammates look and see how a player takes care of himself, both on and off the ice; that's how you do that. But, you know, look at when you do come into a new situation, you feel your way. He’s confident in his skin.”

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