People are lining the main street in Ohsweken, a community within Six Nations of the Grand River, welcoming hometown NHL hero Brandon Montour as he brings home the Stanley Cup.
“I’ve told people today is obviously about me and what I’ve done, but today is about everyone else and to share that with them,” Montour told reporters midday Wednesday, before a parade began in celebration of his win with the Panthers last month.
Montour and his Panthers teammates beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 on June 24 in Florida. As is tradition, members of the winning team get a day with the Cup.
Montour, who’s Mohawk and partly grew up in Six Nations near Brantford, Ont., brought the coveted trophy home this week.
“I was a kid once and I grew up idolizing players, not just in hockey but lacrosse. I think when you have one of your own … reach this level, and especially a day like today, it’s just a bonus for any kid,” Montour said on Wednesday.
“You can’t really describe how it feels but I’m very grateful and honoured to be in the position I’m in.”
‘Six Nations is very proud of you’
Six Nations is hosting the celebratory parade, starting early afternoon Wednesday at Oshweken Speedway and ending at the Six Nations Sports and Culture Memorial Arena.
“Brandon Montour is so inspirational and a positive role model for our children and youth,” Sherri-Lyn Hill, elected chief of Six Nations of the Grand River, told reporters on Wednesday before the parade.
“There’s so much he shows our youth with his teamwork, his drive and hockey that just helps children to dream big.”
Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict also congratulated Montour, saying he was proof of the great things youth across Turtle Island can accomplish.
Greg Fraser, an elected councillor in Six Nations, said over 300 youth were waiting to meet Montour.
During his NHL career, Montour, 30, has also been with the Anaheim Ducks and the Buffalo Sabres. He joined Florida in 2021 and will start the new NHL season with the Seattle Kraken, after the team announced on July 1 that it had signed him to a seven-year deal.
In an interview with the CBC’s Metro Morning in June, Montour’s aunt, Jaime Lynne Montour, said she “choked” when she saw her nephew hoist the Stanley Cup.
“Brandon, you have no idea the impact that he is doing for First Nations people, no clue how big it is for them — to inspire a community, not just this community, but other communities in Canada,” she said.
After the Cup-clinching game, a post on the Six Nations elected council’s Facebook page read: “For the first time in the modern era of the National Hockey League, a member of Six Nations of the Grand River has won hockey’s greatest prize. Congrats #62, #WelcometoSixNayStanley.”
Montour and fellow NHL player Adam Henrique, a member of the Oilers, hold an annual golf tournament that raises money for several charities in the region that help children stay active through sports. This year’s fourth annual tournament took place July 19 at the MontHill Golf & Country Club in Caledonia.