Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour went through a life-changing 36 hours this week, from suiting up in his first Stanley Cup Final game to becoming a first-time father.

It wasn't the plan for those events to overlap. And Montour nearly missed the birth of son Kai because of hockey.

Montour was in Las Vegas for Game 1 of the Panthers' series against the Golden Knights on Friday when his wife, Ryian, went into labor back east. Montour didn't find out until after the Panthers' 5-2 loss and was immediately whisked onto a nerve-wracking cross-country flight to Florida.