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"They want to kill us"- Ex-Panthers star Brandon Montour describes the most intense arena he has played in

Modified Jul 06, 2024 20:06 GMT

In an episode of the Missin Curfew podcast, former Florida Panthers star Brandon Montour shared his experiences playing in some of the most intense arenas during the last two Stanley Cup playoff runs. Reflecting on the hostile environments and passionate crowds, Montour mentioned Boston as particularly aggressive.

"We play in the toughest arenas, and Boston is one of the craziest," Montour said. "When we drive or walk to the games, the fans are outside flipping us off and yelling. But it’s just Boston; in other places, they're taking pictures and waving at us like they're our fans."

Montour also mentioned other challenging venues.

"Carolina's building is insane, Vegas is on another level, and Tampa and Florida are huge. You go back to Boston for a repeat, and they want to kill us. These arenas have to be in the top 10 for the best and toughest buildings to play in."

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Montour's comments come after a successful career with the Panthers, capped by winning the Stanley Cup in 2024. Last Monday, he signed a seven-year, $49.98 million contract with the Seattle Kraken.

The Ontario native faced injuries that limited him to 66 regular-season games last year, during which he accumulated 33 points. However, Montour was a vital presence in the postseason, averaging 22:39 of ice time across 24 games and contributing 11 points, including three on the power play.

Expectations from Brandon Montour and his opinion on signing with Kraken

Brandon Montour was drafted in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. And he has improved immensely since joining the NHL.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis said:

“We think the addition of Montour, that's an offensive piece, and on the back end, he is playing 23, 24 minutes for a Cup-winning team. He brings the Stanley Cup into the locker room with him." (via NHL.com)

Montour talked about the reason behind signing with the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

"I wanted somebody that wanted me," Montour said, "And Seattle came and had that interest from... I don't know when it started, but it was a team that we thought about, obviously, and decided to come."

"With me, you're going just see the enjoyment, the love, the competitiveness," Montour added. "I think that's a big one for me is the competitiveness, and obviously, there's a lot of players on that team that have won."

After finishing 6th in the Pacific Division in the 2023-24 season, Kraken wants to improve and push for a Stanley Cup in the upcoming season.