Steve Montador passes away

[Gritty]

Too young. This new really saddens me.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

You could tell he was a guy everyone in the locker room loved. Oh man, this just sucks.

 

[St Wardo]

Wow, so sad. RIP Monty

 

[DomeFoams]

I had a early morning practice (7am i think it was) down at Rose Kohn one morning back in the day and on the ice before me was Montador doing conditioning with what looked like some Jr players. He was wearing a Florida practice jersey so this was around 05-07.
I got half dressed and watched him for awhile, he was working so hard out there and kept pushing himself and the others really hard. Waited till he came off the ice to say hello, and he actually stopped talked for about 30 seconds. Made a big impression on the younger me as he seemed like such a nice and fun guy. Was really tough waking up to this news, rest in peace Monty.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Thanks for sharing that story!

 

[1989]

RIP Montador. Thanks for the memories. Just a real shame that it happened to a good guy like that. It's always the good ones.

 

[Lunatik]

Bettman released a brief statement.

"The NHL family was saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Montador," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Steve's career was defined by a passion for the game and a determination that made him a great teammate as well as a respected opponent. We extend our deepest sympathies to Steve's family and friends."

The statement was in an article on NHL.com and also included this:

"I've got only good memories about Steve, as a hockey player for what he did for this city, but more importantly, Steve was a good friend off the ice," Gelinas said. "He was someone that lived with my family for more than six months when I was in Florida. He was a family member. He was someone that cared. He had a lot of good energy. He was sharp. He was a very intelligent guy."

"With deep sadness we mourn the unfortunate loss of former Blackhawk Steve Montador," the Blackhawks said in a statement. "We join the many others throughout the NHL in keeping Steve's family and friends in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."

"He’s one of those guys that definitely earned it," said Flames forward Brandon Bollig, who played with Montador in Chicago. "I don't think anything was given to him. He earned everything he got. That's what made him successful and that’s why he stuck around as long as he did. I couldn't have enjoyed playing with the guy any more. I know everyone out there in Chicago where I was with him, I know everyone loved him and loved having him around. Things like this, there's no explanation for it."

 

[Raimu]

Wanted to stop by to offer my condolences. Calgary's '04 run was a big part of re-igniting my love for the game. Terrible to see a guy so young pass away.

 

[Lunatik]

They just showed an interview with Andrew Ference and he mentioned that Monty has a baby on the way.....

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...e-montador-was-real-excited-about-being-a-dad

“That’s the part that’s so sad right now,” Ference said. “The last time I talked to him … he was going to be a father, so we talked about him being a parent and stuff like that. He was real excited about being a dad. That’s the part, this morning, that really crushed me – that was the focal point of our conversation.

“He was always so nice to my kids. He was around my kids a lot when we played together. We talked about that a lot – being a parent, being a dad. He was obviously excited to go through that himself.

“That’s a really, really tough one to think about right now.”

 

[St Wardo]

Also, this was in the thread on the main board, but if anyone missed it

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

They just showed an interview with Andrew Ference and he mentioned that Monty has a baby on the way.....

Gelinas looked like he was in tears prior to the interview too

 

[DCDM]

They just showed an interview with Andrew Ference and he mentioned that Monty has a baby on the way.....

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hoc...e-montador-was-real-excited-about-being-a-dad

Ugh that's so upsetting to hear.

 

[Lunatik]

Gelinas looked like he was in tears prior to the interview too

yeah, Monty lived with his family when they were with the Panthers

 

[DCDM]

Also, this was in the thread on the main board, but if anyone missed it

I won't lie, this made me tear up when I read it the first time. That 04 Flames team was something special. There was something truly magical about that group of guys. I'll always hold them close to my heart since that run is what really made me a fan of not only the Flames, but the game.

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

Also, this was in the thread on the main board, but if anyone missed it

Hox posted that interview a few days ago in the OT thread too.

For any of you guys around during the Sutter era, this made me really sentimental. I miss Sutter, he had problems here at the end but he's a great hockey mind, pretty funny too.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/960/boomer-morning/darryl-sutter-with-boomer-rhett/

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

My God, he had a baby on the way. I can't even.. I'm crying typing this. God rest his soul and may God bless his family.

 

[Lunatik]

My God, he had a baby on the way. I can't even.. I'm crying typing this. God rest his soul and may God bless his family.

Yeah, I choked back tears before but when I heard Ference say he was excited to be a father I broke down.

 

[Lunatik]

http://sabres.buffalonews.com/2015/02/15/montador-never-quit-playing-role-of-teammate/

this piece has some good quotes

Mike Weber

“Monty will probably go down as one of the best teammates I’ve ever had,†Weber said. “A guy that no matter what the conversation was, what the problem was, what the issue was, no matter what was going on with him, he always had time for everyone.

“I was a younger guy. I was in and out of the lineup and he would sit there for whole plane ride sometimes and just talk to me about his situation where he came from, and the type of things he had to work through to make it to be a regular in this league.â€

..........

He never stopped caring. Weber revealed that Montador reached out just last week to some former Buffalo teammates as trade talks started to envelop the dressing room.

“That’s a guy who’s been removed here for a while and still cares about guys in this room,†Weber said. “You don’t know how to explain it when someone is just gone. … He was a great voice, a calming voice who’d been with different teams in different stages. He was just a wealth of knowledge. There wasn’t one person he didn’t touch or wasn’t available for. That’s what made him so special.â€

Andrew Ference

“He flew the airplane over the Serengeti,†Ference told the Calgary Herald. “My life was in his hands.â€

Darryl Sutter

“I just talked to him, not during this past trip we were on but the trip before that,†Sutter told Los Angeles reporters Sunday. “He was moving home. He had some demons. … He was a smart guy, a really bright guy.â€

Montador himself in a 2013 interview

“I can see why people have a hard time with a number of different things and being taken away from something they love to do and not sure if you’d ever get back the chance,†he said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety ad depression that comes with that. I’ve had a lot of help to work through that.â€

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I'm going to wait for further details to be posted, but when I was 18 my best friend at the time ended his life because his GF had an abortion without consulting him first. He also had many other demons in his life he battled throughout his young life, this really hits home for me.

Depression is such a tragic thing and something the majority of people truly don't understand, I've also had my own struggles with it. When someone passes on it effects so many of us that remain, no one truly understands why. Hockey is a game, things like this really puts **** into perspective. I love our board because even though we're like a dysfunctional family at times, we're all here for each other. If you guys ever need anyone to talk to please message me privately, I'll do whatever I can. I'll even meet you guys for a beer if need be.

Again God bless Steve's soul and his family.

 

[WayneGreatzky]

R.I.P Steve Montador

Condolences to his friends. family and loved ones.

Too many gone this year/season...

 

[Volica]

Very sad news. It took me all day to try and piece what I wanted to say about Monty somewhere (I know my GF wouldn't appreciate it fully).

Revisiting old memories came to me like a flash once I read this news online. Him and his Doors partner will always be locked in my head when I think of this Flames team. A bunch of broken nobodies who put together one of the most memorable playoff runs in the entire history of the NHL... including that beaver tail goal by Montador. I thought of that goal and remember jumping around my old family room with my parents... Like there was nothing bigger in this world at the time.

It's definitely a solemn reminder to take everything in and definitely enjoy life as it happens... Because God knows when big moments will come around the bend again.

This hockey stuff is just a game... but the stories... the heroes, the villains, the personalities and the emotional roller coasters are what keep us coming back; night after night. Because I only have this avenue to share my thoughts, I want to thank Monty for being one of the members of a team that I truly, truly remember fondly and love; and that was a major contributor to my early teen years.

Rest in Peace; you will always have a place in every Flames fans heart and mind.

 

[Lunatik]

I'm going to wait for further details to be posted, but when I was 18 my best friend at the time ended his life because his GF had an abortion without consulting him first. He also had many other demons in his life he battled throughout his young life, this really hits home for me.

Depression is such a tragic thing and something the majority of people truly don't understand, I've also had my own struggles with it. When someone passes on it effects so many of us that remain, no one truly understands why. Hockey is a game, things like this really puts **** into perspective. I love our board because even though we're like a dysfunctional family at times, we're all here for each other. If you guys ever need anyone to talk to please message me privately, I'll do whatever I can. I'll even meet you guys for a beer if need be.

Again God bless Steve's soul and his family.

Thanks for sharing Hox, as I have mentioned before this is hitting home with me too with me fighting depression issues and Steve being the same age as myself. Not only that I have been suicidal before, on multiple occasions. I'd rather not share the gory details in public, but fortunately I have not been that low in a few years now. Unlike the stories of Monty, me being that low made me a pretty ****** person and someone I am not proud that I was.

Also in addition to us not understanding why death affects us so much, I don't think anyone really understands chronic depression either; it's why there is no standard treatment and why we lose so many great people. I think the reason no one can truly understand is because even when we are depressed we cannot understand it ourselves. How can someone fix what we can't even explain? There are so many causes and so many triggers that it can sometimes be impossible to find the needed treatment. Some people are helped by therapy, some are helped by antidepressants, some are helped by a significant event, some just get better with time, some nothing seems to work.

I'm going to share with some a scary reality. If a person wants to hurt themselves there is nothing you can do because most of the time they will do everything in their power to hide it from you and when they are ready to end it, they will have a plan and often a good one. That is exactly what I did, I pretended like nothing was wrong, put on a face for everyone and when I was alone I plotted my own death. I am lucky that I have something bigger than my depression to fight for, but unfortunately not everyone can find that thing that think bigger than their depression.

 

[Smyth94]

 

[Soundwave]

Oiler fan, but was really saddened to hear this news. Really sad to hear what Ference had to say. Tragic all around. RIP, my condolences to his family.

 

[Lunatik]

http://calgaryherald.com/storyline/former-calgary-flame-steve-montador-has-died-at-35

Mike Commodore

“I had a text from a buddy of mine in Europe this morning,†said Commodore. “It just said, ‘Did you hear about Monty?’ That’s all it said. When I read that, I was a little bit scared about what I might hear. Unfortunately, my worst fears were realized … Rhett Warrener called me two minutes later.

"Sad news. Monty was a really good guy. I really can’t say enough good things about him. If you needed anything from him, he would literally do anything for you. It’s really sad. I really don’t know what else to say. He was a good guy. Really, really sad. It’s terrible news."

..................

"It really is sad – he is a young guy. He had a full life in front of him."

Chris Clark

“When you hear of anybody, whether it’s a guy you played hockey with or a guy you grew up with outside of sports, it’s happened too many times to too many young people,†said Clark. “He’s a couple years younger than I am and, age aside, we grew into the league together. We’ll always have that bond. It’s something that’s really tough when you sit down and think about it.â€

Calgary Flames

“It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Steve Montador. Steve will always be remembered to us as a member of the Flames family. We are very proud that he wore the Calgary uniform over six seasons and also of his important contributions during that period both on and off the ice.

We would like to express our sincere condolences to the Montador family. This is a terrible loss of a wonderful young man; a great teammate known for his big heart and character. He will be missed by all who had the pleasure to have known and worked with him.