It is with great sadness to pass along the death of former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Steve Montador.
It was reported Sunday afternoon that Montador was found dead in his Mississauga home at the age of 35. Montador spent 12 years in the National Hockey League with the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Sabres.
In 571 career NHL games, Montador scored 33 goals and added 98 assists to go along with 807 career penalty minutes.
In the 2009-10 season, the Sabres signed Montador to a two-year deal to be part of a team which went to the playoffs in both years he was part of the organization. In 151 career games with the Sabres, Montador scored 10 goals and added 39 assists. Montador had a career season in the 2010-11 season when he scored five goals and had 21 assists.
Montador went on to spend the next two seasons in the Blackhawks organization before being bought out in the 2013 offseason. Montador went on to play eleven games in the KHL before retiring due to concussion-like symptoms after a history of concussions in his professional career.
Reports are that Montador’s death was not due to any foul play, but of “natural causes.”
Here is a look back to Montador’s first goal with the Buffalo Sabres on November 11, 2009 against the Edmonton Oilers.