Hockey is a physical sport, and it’s impossible to make it through a season without players missing time due to injuries. This season, the University of North Dakota hockey team has suffered a rash of injuries. So far this season, UND has been without Kaleb Johnson (indefinitely), Bennett Zmolek (indefinitely), Tanner Komzak (week-to-week), Cameron Berg (week-to-week), Andrew Strathmann (week-to-week), Cody Croal (week-to-week). This past weekend, Komzak returned to the lineup. That means that five players remain sidelined with injuries.
Enter Dane Montgomery. Through the first three seasons at UND, the Grand Forks native played in 32 games, scoring (2g-3a–5pts). Montgomery sat out the entire 2022-23 season due to injury. Last year, Montgomery returned to the lineup and played in 16 games, scoring a goal and an assist. Montgomery has been used in different roles this season due to all the injuries. So far, Montgomery has played defense and forward. In 10 games, Montgomery (1g-4a—5pts) has tied for 12th on the team in points with Jackson Kunz, and he’s played three fewer games. He’s also done that, averaging about 10 minutes per game. Finally, Montgomery has five points in the last seven games he’s played in. Montgomery’s versatility has carved out a vital role at UND.
In game one of their weekend series against the University of Denver, Montgomery scored his first goal of the season to tie the game against the Pioneers briefly. The crowd showed its appreciation with a loud applause. That goal extended his point streak to four games and was the third goal of his career.
Fair to say he’s an offensive defenseman! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/0WL1vvGWMm
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) November 16, 2024
Last Friday, during the second period, UND captain Louis Jammernik V suffered a lower-body injury and couldn’t play on Saturday night. No Jammernik, no problem. The UND coaching staff moved Montgomery back to his normal forward position, and he played on the fourth line with Cade Littler and Dalton Andrew. With UND protecting a 1-0 lead late in Saturday’s game, head coach Brad Berry had Montgomery on the ice in the game’s final seconds.
“Monty is a driver and a leader,” Berry said. “He’s been in our program long enough to know the habits and details of trying to close the game.”
UND forward Dane Montgomery during a recent game against RMU.
What does Montgomery mean to the UND hockey team? Coach Berry weighed in.
“It probably starts with his character, being team first,” Berry said. “There’s a lot of times, especially nowadays, when you recruit players, you know specifically the positions they want to play, or they feel that they’re best at that. It’s very special when you have a guy like Dane Montgomery when you can throw anything at him. If we said you want to play goal, we need you in goal, he’d probably do that as well.
“He’s a very team-first guy, and you need; we need to have players like that to win games and do whatever it takes. We need them right now, like we needed them at forward tonight to play minutes, and especially, like Brad (Schlossman) said at the end of the game, (I) trusted him enough to put him out on six on five. It’s a huge deal; that’s what true, high-character people do.”
Finally, Montgomery is well-liked in the UND locker room and has the respect of his teammates.
“He’s done amazing,” UND forward Dylan James said during a recent press conference. “Bubbs (Brad Berry) can put him anywhere, and he trusts him in that position, but he’s done really good.”
