Brandon Montour Rushes Home Between Cup Final Games – For Birth of Son

SUNRISE — Brandon Montour had himself quite a couple of days while in Las Vegas for the Stanley Cup Final.

Only Montour did not stay in Vegas the whole time.

Following Florida’s loss in Game 1 to the Golden Knights, Montour — a defenseman for the Panthers — was told wife Ryian was in labor back in South Florida.

This was a bit of a surprise as the Montours had settled on inducing labor on June 14 after Game 5 of the Cup Final.

Yet here comes little Kai Montour.

While Brandon Montour was playing in the game, the Panthers set up a private jet to whisk him to the Boca Raton Executive Airport so he could get to the hospital ASAP.

“I was getting texts from her parents just telling me where she was at,’’ Montour recalled Wednesday afternoon. “They did not think I would make it. Honestly, I didn’t sleep at all. Got right there to Boca, went to the delivery room, and it was kind of game on from there.

“He came at noon. We were joking, but it was like as soon as I got there, it was straight to work — for her, not for me. I obviously did not know when he was going to come and I was a little upset, tried to get there as quickly as I could. Luckily, I was there.’’

So, after boarding a flight at 11 p.m. in Las Vegas and landing at 6:30 a.m. in Boca, he stayed at the hospital with his new family for a little bit before getting back on the plane and flying back to Nevada.

He played in Game 2 on Saturday night.

“Good that he was there for it,’’ coach Paul Maurice said. “Monty is a physical specimen and can handle a little fatigue.

I think it was just a good way for him to get used to becoming a father, or a mother for that matter. Sleep debt is your life for the next couple of years. He missed the first drive home and we had a laugh about that. But he’ll be there for a lot of firsts.”

FLORIDA PANTHERS ON DECK

THE 2023 STANLEY CUP FINAL

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS AT FLORIDA PANTHERS 

GAME 3 (Vegas leads 2-0)

• When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
• Where: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise
• TV: TNT
  
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM, WPOW 96.5 FM2, WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Vegas 5, Florida 2; Game 2: @Vegas 7, Florida 2; Game 3: Thursday at Florida, 8 (TNT); Game 4: Saturday at Florida, 8 (TNT); Game 5*: Tuesday at Vegas, 8 (TNT); Game 6*: Friday June 16 at Florida, 8 (TNT); Game 7*: Monday June 19 at Vegas, 8 (TNT). * – If Necessary
• 2022-23 Regular Season Series (Even 1-1): @Vegas 4, Florida 2 (Jan. 12); @Florida 2, Vegas 1 (March 7)
• All-time Regular Season Series: Golden Knights lead 6-3-1
• Postseason History: First meeting
• How They Got Here — Vegas: d. Winnipeg in 5, Edmonton in 6, Dallas in 6; Florida: d. Boston in 7, Toronto in 5, Carolina in 4.