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UMass-Amherst freshman defenseman Brandon Montour has signed an NHL contract with the Anaheim Ducks. Montour played just half a season with the Minutemen, after he was ineligible for the first half of the season, but was very good in the 21 games he did play with the Minutemen. His 20 points on three goals and 17 assists was a UMass record for a rookie defenseman.
Montour was a late-bloomer, but had a meteoric rise last season in his final year of NHL Draft eligibility as a member of the Waterloo Blackhawks. He was the USHL's top scoring defenseman last season. Anaheim selected him in the second round, 55th overall in last summer's NHL Draft, and Montour reportedly wowed at the Ducks Prospect Camp last summer.
Montour is a pure offensive defenseman with incredibly athleticism. We ranked Montour 47th on our list of the Top 100 NHL Prospects in the NCAA.