The Senators' 2024 fourth-round draft pick is now the top goal scorer on the nation's top junior team. When the Ottawa Senators [https://www.nhl.com/senators/] drafted USHL forward Blake Montgomery last summer, the selection didn't come with a lot of fanfare. That's how it is for fourth-rounders. By that point in any NHL Draft, some of the reporters have gone home, and the ones who stay lean hard on their media guides. But Montgomery wasn't at the draft. So when Ottawa called his name with the 117th pick, there was virtually no buzz or hype, no interview or photo session, not even a gentle, family-only Sphere [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHG8SOdI80s] cheer in Vegas. After being passed over in 2023, he had opted instead for a draft day party with family in Bermuda, where his mom grew up. Today, just six months later, there's no shortage of excitement swirling around Montgomery, and he is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about prospects in the Ottawa Senators' organization. It's easy to see why. At 6-foot-4, with great hands and a long, powerful skating stride, the 19-year-old is currently the top goal scorer on the London Knights [https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0008142025.html], the number one junior hockey club in Canada. His goal total is impressive, even before you recall that he missed the Knights' first 16 games this season. Since shifting from the Lincoln Stars [https://lincolnstars.com/] of the USHL to the London Knights [https://chl.ca/ohl-knights/] of the OHL in the first week of November, Montgomery has 17 goals in 23 games. This week, I had a chance to sit down with Montgomery to learn more about him. My first thought was how happy and engaging he is, and if he makes it to Ottawa someday, how well he'd fit in with the current Senators. We discussed his season so far, his development instructions from Ottawa, his plans to head to the University of Wisconsin next season [https://lincolnstars.com/news/2024/2/6/mens-ice-hockey-montgomery-makes-college-commitment.aspx], and with London Calling, his decision to switch leagues in mid-season. Q&A WITH BLAKE MONTGOMERY Q: Why do you think things are clicking so well for you right now? Blake Montgomery: "I'd say I've always had that kind of offensive drive to create plays and production for myself. I feel like coming from teams I played on before, I feel like a lot of that was coming from myself. And being on a team this good, playing with guys like Sam O'Reilly and Denver Barkey, they're finding me. They're hitting me in certain spots. And they're just giving me more chances to score, so I feel like more production is coming out of it." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What are you liking about your game right now? Blake Montgomery: "Just a lot of confidence. I almost feel like if I get a good chance, I feel like I know I'm gonna put it in, you know. Shots are coming around quick and it's a lot of fun." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Why is this London Knights team so good, number one in the CHL? Blake Montgomery: "I'd say the amount of pace we play with. Guys like to make plays so fast we're getting up ice quick. We're not leaving much room for other teams to breathe, and that makes it hard on them to run a full 60-minute game to keep up with it." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What's it like to play for Dale Hunter? Blake Montgomery: "It's fun. You might think from appearance alone he's scary mean. But, no. Very nice coach, almost laid back. And he knows what he's doing. He knows when to put guys on in the right situations. He knows when you're not going too. So if you're not going, he's not going to give you the opportunity. But if you are, you know you're going to get it." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Did the Senators talk to you about things you need to work on to be in Ottawa one day? Blake Montgomery: "Just mainly filling out my frame, putting on weight, and just getting stronger so that can help me in other aspects of the game. You know, just stronger battles on pucks and even my shot too that will come out of it. But that's mainly the only thing I've been hearing right now: just put on weight." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Was it weird changing leagues this season, going from Lincoln of the USHL to London of the OHL? Blake Montgomery: "Yeah, that was the first time I ever switched teams in the middle of the year. And especially coming to a league like the OHL and especially on a team like this. It was tough at first to step to a group surrounded by guys that good. So you're looking at other guys at first, seeing where you stand. But after the first few games, I knew what I would have to do to adjust to it and get comfortable. And then it started to click more, and I started to get more ice. "It's just different, you know, the whole feel to it. It's like a completely different game. Like, it's slower but a whole lot faster in the sense of making plays. And guys are getting to the spots quicker, guys are on you much harder and compared to the USHL, I'd say overall just better. Not to just throw shade like that, but that's what I'd say." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What went into your decision to change leagues? Blake Montgomery: "It was just mainly not working out, you know, because I loved where I was at. But it wasn't going to be what was best for my development or my mental (state) at the time. So it was in the midst of figuring out when I was going to leave, and then I ended up making that decision on a Friday. And then I honestly had no plan of going to London or really knowing about that before the (NCAA eligibility) vote and everything. "So I was just waiting in Michigan for that week and a half, figuring out if the vote was going to pass. Because the biggest thing for me in coming to London was if I was going to be able to go to Wisconsin next year. So that all ended up working out in my favour and everyone else. So once that passed, the Knights called me up and then it was here from there." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Tell us about your decision to skip the NHL Draft and have a family draft party in Bermuda. Blake Montgomery: "Mainly because of the family part, and the travel, and it being my second draft year instead of my first. So I thought I'd make it easier for a lot more people, and Bermuda is pretty cool too. My mom and a lot of her family are there, people I haven't seen in a while too, and some older family who are getting up there. So it just made more sense for me to be more comfortable and not so stressed in a stressful time. It felt right." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: A week after that, it was the Ottawa Senators' development camp. What was that experience like? Blake Montgomery: "Mainly just how good the staff is, top to bottom. Everyone's taken care of. We all got backpacks and shoes. Everyone did. People driving vans got shoes. Everyone's so nice. It wasn't intimidating like, 'Come here, show us what you got.' They wanted it to be a very welcoming environment. It made it fun, especially for me being in my first time in an NHL environment like that. It's pretty nerve-racking. So for it to be that welcoming and nice, it was good." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q: Finally, beyond a Memorial Cup, any goals for the rest of the season? Blake Montgomery: "Just staying consistent throughout the year. No matter what's going on or the circumstances, just playing my game no matter what." Based on what they've seen from his game so far, that would suit the Ottawa Senators just fine. For more Ottawa Senators articles like these, check out The Hockey News Ottawa [http://thn.com/ottawa]. Recommended articles include:
