The Senators announced Wednesday that they’ve agreed to terms with left wing prospect Blake Montgomery on a three-year, entry-level deal starting next season. He’ll join AHL Belleville on an amateur tryout contract to finish out this year. The deal will carry a cap hit of $1.075MM with a qualifying offer of $1.114MM upon expiry, per PuckPedia.
Montgomery, a fourth-round pick by Ottawa in 2024, will opt to be one-and-done in college. The 20-year-old two-way forward will end up playing in four different leagues in the span of two seasons if he manages to suit up for Belleville this year. Selected from the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, he stuck around for just 10 games in his post-draft season before jumping north of the border with the OHL’s London Knights. After rattling off nearly a point per game there, he took advantage of the new avenue for CHL players to make the jump to college hockey and committed to the University of Wisconsin.
Montgomery’s lone season with the Badgers will go down as a successful one. He helped them to their first national championship game appearance since 2010 and put up a 9-8–17 scoring line in 37 games along the way. He averaged two shots on goal per game but did end up with a team-worst -7 rating.
The younger brother of Hurricanes defense prospect Bryce Montgomery, it’ll be interesting to see how much – if any – of Blake’s scoring touch can translate to Belleville still relatively early in his development. He’ll turn 21 next month; he was initially draft-eligible in 2023 before being picked up by Ottawa a year later. He still grades out, improbably, as the Sens’ top forward prospect in a pool that’s been heavily decimated in recent years, sitting #4 overall according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. He becomes just the third forward age 22 or younger that Ottawa even has under contract.
Montgomery’s contract brings Ottawa up to 28 registered for next season. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2029 with two years of team control remaining.