Flames get their sparks from Byron and Monahan
Two young hockey players with strong ties to Ottawa are helping fire up the Calgary Flames this season.
Sean Monahan, who starred for the Ottawa 67’s and was Calgary’s first-round pick in 2013, is a mainstay player for coach Bob Hartley.
And Paul Byron, an Ottawa native and former Ottawa West Golden Knight and Gatineau Olympique, is providing spark with his energy and speed.
Monahan said in an interview that he spent the summer working on things that he felt he needed to improve. For example, he said that he didn’t feel as comfortable in the faceoff circle as he wanted.
“I wanted to get a little bit heavier and stronger, and that’s paying off. I feel better in the corners, too. Also, you want to be a little bit faster. I just feel more confident this year, especially in my body and those situations.
“It was all good weight. I feel quicker and stronger and more confident on my skates.”
So far this season, Monahan has seven goals and five assists, and is a plus-4. But against the Senators Saturday, Monahan was kept off the scoresheet.
The young forward says he doesn’t set personal goals beyond being “better than the guy I am going up against.”
Monahan credits Hartley for pushing him in the right direction.
“But the biggest thing for us is probably Gio (Mark Giordano, the high-scoring Flames defenceman and team captain). He’s a workhorse, and every game, he plays the same way. To have that kind of guy in the dressing room and out there on the ice, he carries our team.”
For Byron, it has been a different road to the Saddledome. The 25-year-old is a smaller player who needs to use his speed to best effect.
Byron has four goals and four assists so far this season and is a plus-2 player. He scored two goals against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night, ending a 16-game drought. And he added his fourth Saturday night against Ottawa.
The scoring secret might just be a tweak to his stick. “I just stiffened up the blade. I find the puck pops a little harder.”
Byron says the Flames are building off success last year.
“We had the feeling we could beat any team on any night. Speed and pressure is our team’s game.”
Byron, a graduate of St. Paul High School in west-end Ottawa, was not a Senators fan when he was a kid. He loved the Anaheim Ducks. The reason: Paul Kariya, another smaller player who could score and who played the kind of hightempo game that Byron wants to play himself.
“Ottawa could have had him, but they took (Alexandre) Daigle instead.”
Playing Ottawa is really just another game for Byron, but he admits there is some added excitement knowing friends and family are watching back home.
“I want to give a good effort because if I don’t, I’m going to be hearing from them the next time I play the Senators (March 8, in Ottawa).
Hartley has nothing but praise for the two young players.
“Monahan and Byron have been great. Monny has been getting big
We had the feeling we could beat any team on any night. Speed and pressure is our team’s game.
minutes and Paulie is our Energizer Bunny.
Hartley said Byron worked hard to earn his spot on the team, making him a classic example of determination. “He’s such a great skater. I trust him in all kinds of situations.”
Monahan’s progression as a player is “phenomenal,” Hartley says.
“Right now, I’m going toe-totoe with Monny against the other team’s top lines. This young man has the maturity of any 30-yearold in this league. What I like about Monny is he is always under control and he isn’t even close to reaching his full potential.”
Senators defenceman Cody Ceci knows all about Monahan. The two were stars with the Ottawa 67’s just a few years ago. And both have had early starts to their NHL careers.
“He’s a good player; you have to be careful when he is on the ice. He thinks the game at a really high level and he’s got a good stick, too.
“He’s a guy you have to keep to the outside, but you can’t give him too much time, either.”