Sean Monahan not ready to close the book on his Flames chapter
After a stirring standing ovation in a victorious return, Sean Monahan declared he’s not ready to close the book on his time with the Calgary Flames.
Monahan, who played his first nine seasons with the Flames after being selected in the first round (No. 6) of the 2013 NHL Draft, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on August 18 along with a conditional first-round pick for future considerations.
But it’ll always be home.
“Calgary’s got a special place in my heart and it always will,” a candid Monahan said postgame. “Anytime I come back here, I think I’ll have that same kind of feeling. It’s special to me. I’ve got a lot of relationships with people outside of the game, too. It’s always going to be a lot of fun to come back here and play.”
Suivez les points de presse d'aprĂšs-match en direct du Scotiabank Saddledome.
Tune in now to postgame media ops live from the Scotiabank Saddledome.
#GoHabsGo https://t.co/5E26fBtfIV— Canadiens MontrĂ©al (@CanadiensMTL) December 2, 2022
Monahan, who showed plenty of emotion pre-game, remains ninth in Flames history in games played (656), eighth in goals (212), and sixth in power-play goals (66).
He was part of a core-altering summer in Calgary that saw fellow teammate Matthew Tkachuk opt for sunnier weather with the Florida Panthers soon after good friend Johnny Gaudreau leave as an unrestricted free agent for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Monahan admitted that he didn’t see the summer shakedown coming.
“We played together for a long time and have been through a lot,” the 28-year-old started. “It’s definitely different. I didn’t know what was going to happen in the summer and now we’re here today both on different teams. He’s one of my best friends and will be for the rest of my life.
“I didn’t know what was going to happen. Obviously, there was a lot of talk about me being moved. Mentally I was ready for it. It was a long time coming, and when it happened it happened at, I guess, a good time. I started to feel good again and I had a fresh opportunity and a new start.”
That start has rejuvenated Monahan, who would sit second in Flames scoring with 16 points, and fourth with five goals.
Two of those came via helpers in a 2-1 against his friends and former mates Thursday.
“It was special,” Monahan said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while and it’s finally here. You get a lot of emotions coming up into the game. Once I stepped on the ice in warmup I was pretty nervous, to be honest. I was the most nervous I’ve been for a long time. I’m just happy we came out with a win. It was fun.”
Thank you, Mony. pic.twitter.com/5QmFsAJt9r
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 2, 2022
Sandwiched between assists was a video tribute for the seven-season alternate captain.
It was completed by a standing ovation from the Flames faithful in attendance — their message to the ultimate team-first combatant who was the first piece of a new era for the Flames in 2013.
His message back was simple.
“I just want to say thank you,” Monahan said. “I came in here as an 18-year-old kid and grew up here. They always had my back. We had ups and downs while I was here and they always supported me.
“That was a special tribute and one I’m definitely going to watch a few times.”
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