Bison's Montgomery Establishes Place In Franchise History

Bryce Montgomery became an answer to a trivia question. Even if he never meant to.

During the team's opening weekend, the 21-year-old defenseman scored the first regular-season goal in Bloomington Bison franchise history.

He took a shot from the right-wing circle after receiving a drop pass in the offensive zone. The puck sailed into the net, and Montgomery celebrated while looking toward the fans who came to support the ECHL's newest franchise.

"It's pretty cool because I wasn't expecting to score that goal or anything, it just kind of happened," he said of the milestone.

The goal helped lead the comeback effort. The Bison scored again in the third period but ultimately dropped both games of their first weekend. However, Montgomery has already cemented his place in history with his first goal of the season.

"We were joking about that in the locker room and how they are going to have that trivia question posted," he said. "It's pretty funny knowing that's me, and it's a cool little stat."

Montgomery finished with a goal on three shots for the Bison, who held their own against a Toledo team skating key returners from a squad that won 22 consecutive games last year.

Bloomington registered 64 combined shots on goal in the two games, including 40 on Saturday. All in all, it was a good test for a young Bison squad that will undoubtedly need some time to gel.

Adding in the roster complexities at this level is something else they will have to overcome.

Earlier this week, Montgomery was recalled to the Chicago Wolves, the Carolina Hurricanes' AHL outfit. The defenseman's role this season will be playing wherever he is needed and one that he is plenty excited about.

"I'm still young, and I haven't played a ton of games," he said. "I need to play as many games as possible. Whether they need me up or down, it's just a matter of me playing games and developing. That's my key focus for this year. I want to develop, and I want to play as many games as possible."

Montgomery got a taste of professional hockey last year.

He spent the 2023-24 season with the South Carolina Sting Rays, where he played in 42 games and tallied 12 points on four goals and eight assists.

Now back in the Hurricanes' system, who are without an ECHL affiliate but have a working agreement with the Bison, Montgomery is feeling more at home in the early stages of his second year.

"I don't feel like I'm out of place anymore because last year when we didn't have our ECHL affiliate, it was like I'm kind of in my own spot on my own," he said. "This year, when I got assigned, it was like, 'OK, I'm still in the system.'

"I'm in my affiliate system, so it feels a lot closer. Even when I got reassigned to Chicago, it was only a two-hour drive. It was just a couple of phone calls, and I'm there. It feels a lot better. I got here today, and everybody's welcoming me back with open arms."

If all goes to plan, Montgomery will make his AHL debut on Friday night when the Chicago Wolves begin the first game of a home-and-home series in Milwaukee.