Montour takes leave of absence from Kraken; Gaudreau out 4-6 weeks

The Seattle Kraken announced Saturday morning that veteran defenceman Brandon Montour is taking a temporary leave of absence from the team due to a family matter.

“No further details will be shared at this time, and the team requests that his family’s privacy be respected during this period,” the Kraken said in a post on social media.

Montour, a 31-year-old from Brantford, Ont., is currently in his second season with the Kraken and 11th in the NHL after being selected in the second-round by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014.

He has four assists over four games this season for the Kraken, who are 2-0-2 entering Saturday’s game in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

Montour has tallied 84 goals and 213 assists over 605 career games with the Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Kraken, highlighted by a Stanley Cup victory with the Panthers in 2024.

Montour is in the second season of a seven-year, $50 million contract, paying him an average annual value of $7.14 million.

Gaudreau sidelined

Veteran centre Frederick Gaudreau will miss the next 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury, the team announced.

The 32-year-old native of Quebec has one assist over four games with the Kraken this season, his first in Seattle.

Gaudreau has 61 goals and 92 assists over 414 career games with the Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild and Kraken.