Drake Bell » ews to tell you, but Im worried," Hartley

CALGARY -- With a few more pounds of muscle on his frame, Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan looks ready to build on an impressive rookie season and avoid a sophomore slump. Monahan scored 22 goals as a rookie last season and was fifth on the Flames with 34 points in 75 games. Its easy to forget Monahan doesnt turn 20 until next month. At six-foot-two and 185 pounds, he cruises into the faceoff circle with a confident demeanour. He says hes about eight pounds heavier than his rookie weight. "I focused on the stuff that I really needed to focus on, so I did a lot of strength training and explosive stuff and really focused on diet," Monahan said Monday in Calgary. When Monahan turned up wearing a tight T-shirt at a summer hockey camp run by Bob Hartley, the Flames head coach did a double take. "He just said I look like a man," Monahan said. "I worked hard this summer so I think its paid off. It obviously doesnt matter to me if other people notice it. It all comes down to me. "Whatever work I put in, I feel it on the ice and I think thats the biggest thing." Drafted sixth overall by the Flames in 2013, the centre from Brampton, Ont., had a legitimate shot at making a rebuilding Flames roster as an 18-year-old last fall. But his offensive contributions outstripped expectations. Monahan was the first Flames rookie since Jarome Iginla in 1996-97 to score 21 goals. Monahan did finish the season minus-20, but few Flames were in the black in plus-minus on a team that finished 27th in a 30-team league. Monahan put up impressive numbers despite a hairline fracture in his foot that kept him out seven straight games in November and December. With top-line centre Mikael Backlund sidelined with injury, Monahan averaged well over 18 minutes per game in the last five games of the regular season. He was then invited to play for Canada at the world championships, where he had two assists in seven games, to pack even more experience into his rookie campaign. "Suddenly hes more talkative. Its just part of feeling more confident," Hartley said. "Now he knows that he really has a spot on this team. He knows about the NHL. "We have big expectations about Monny, but what makes me feel the most comfortable is Monny by himself sets some real high expectations." Theres inevitable questions about avoiding "the sophomore slump." Monahan will no longer surprise opposing teams, so hell need that additional strength. "Heres my explanation on sophomore slump," Hartley began. "Number one, as a rookie, the other teams dont know you very well so sometimes you get the fifth or sixth defenceman, you get the third line playing against you. Sean Monahan will get much more attention from opponents this year. "Number two, and thats where I feel so good, is many young players get a great first year and they sit (on it). Looking at Seans fitness test, just looking at him, you can tell that he spent the summer working out. Hes on a mission. That second part doesnt worry me one bit." New Flames winger Mason Raymond spent time on Monahans wing in a split-squad exhibition game Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. "Yeah, young kid. Here I am nine years older," Raymond said. "Hes very mature for his age. Ive skated with him for the last month, but its impressive to see how he handles himself and understands whats expected of himself. "Its a treat to play with him so far. Were learning each other and starting to gel a bit." After a few skates and the exhibition game, Hartley has noticed theres more authority in Monahans game. "Battles in the corners, probably faceoffs also," the coach said. "I felt like last night he won many big faceoffs with us. Going around the defencemen, battling for loose pucks, thats where the opponents will notice it. "Hell be able to go with the big boys and play in those tough areas. Its impressive." The Flames have several centres in camp and the depth chart is fluid up the middle. Monahan, Backlund, Matt Stajan, Joe Colborne as well as prospects Max Reinhart, Markus Granlund, Bill Arnold and Corban Knight are battling for ice time and jobs. Theres room for Monahan to up his stock at main camp in the absence of 25-year-old Backlund, who has yet to participate in a full practice because of an abdominal injury. "I dont have any news to tell you, but Im worried," Hartley said ominously. "Hes still not on the ice. Id like to see him on the ice, thats for sure." Forward Sam Bennett, the highest draft pick in Calgary Flames history at No. 4 this year, is expected to practise Tuesday after sitting out the first few days of main camp with a groin injury. Calgary got down to 58 players Monday when the following players were assigned to their respective major junior teams: defenceman Jason Fram (Spokane Chiefs); winger Brandon Magee (Victoria Royals); goaltender Mason McDonald (Charlottetown Islanders); winger Hunter Smith (Oshawa Generals). The Flames have three pre-season games in as many days starting Wednesday when they take on the Arizona Coyotes in Sylvan Lake, Alta. Calgary then plays a home-and-away against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday and Friday. Monahans mom Cathy relocated to Calgary last season to oversee her sons first year in the NHL. Monahan has taken a step forward in off-ice independence by moving in with Flames forward Lance Bouma to start this season. Who is going to cook? "Lance," Monahan said firmly. Brett Favre Jersey . Toronto dropped a 7-2 decision to the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon, with only a pair of late runs preventing a second straight shutout loss. Josh Willingham belted a two-run homer in the first inning and Kendrys Morales hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh as the Twins took the rubber game of the three-game series. Adrian Peterson Jersey . The move is retroactive to Aug. 1. Hosmer was originally hit on the hand in the first inning of a July 20 loss to Boston. He has played most of the time since, but missed a few contests due to the injury, then departed Thursdays win over the Twins and had tests that revealed the fracture. http://www.authenticvikingspro.com/Dalvi...kings-jersey/.J. -- Freshman Eli Carter scored a career-high 31 points and hit the go-ahead basket in the second overtime as Rutgers rallied to stun No. Chris Doleman Jersey . Thaddeus Young scored seven of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, Evan Turner added 22 points, and the 76ers hung on for their first road win since Nov. 1, beating the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 on Sunday night. Adam Thielen Jersey . -- Officials have approved a deal to build a new $672 million stadium for the Atlanta Braves away from the downtown Atlanta area that has traditionally been its home.If you want to look at the cold hard facts, the Kansas City Royals are now the only team in the Majors with a longer post-season drought than the Blue Jays. The Royals, who shrunk over the years from model franchise to annual also-rans, havent made it to the playoffs since 1985, the year they beat the Blue Jays in the American League Championship series en route to winning their one and only World Series title under the late Dick Howser. The past few years though, theyve developed a wealth of young home-grown talent, including catcher Salvador Perez, outfielders Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain, third baseman Mike Moustakas, shortstop Alcides Escobar and DH Billy Butler, not to mention outfielder Wil Meyers, who was dealt to Tampa Bay for pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis last year. The Royals are continuing their playoff push this off-season. They signed GM Dayton Moore to a two-year extension and then veteran lefty Jason Vargas to a four-year deal and this week, they traded for a needed lead-off hitter, getting Norichika Aoki from Milwaukee to play right field. The next move may be their boldest yet if they can bring back outfielder Carlos Beltran on a three-year deal. The bottom line is, even if they dont win the Central, theyd have to be a favourite for one of the two Wild Card slots, making it even more difficult for the Blue Jays to make it into the post-season. The Jays have been fairly quiet so far, non-tendering catcher J.P. Arencibia, signing catcher Dioner Navarro and then trading reliever Brad Lincoln to the Phillies for catcher Eric Kratz and lefty reliever Rob Rasmussen. Not exactly earth-shattering moves. GM Alex Anthopoulos is already dampening expectations for next weeks Winter Meetings at Orlando a bit by telling the Toronto chapter of the BBWAA that he doesnt expect to add any more than one starting pitcher from outside the organization in the off-season, when most believe they need two.dddddddddddd I trust Alex still has a few tricks up his sleeve, but if the Jays arent aggressive enough, they could find themselves with the longest post-season drought of all at 21 years and counting after the coming season. Lone Ranger? From all reports coming out of Texas, it sounds as though Arencibia is going to wind up in Texas as the back-up catcher to Geovany Soto and maybe a part-time DH. The Texas ballpark is made to order for J.P.s power stroke, and heres hoping he can rediscover or rebuild the rest of his game. Hes too good a person to flame-out in this game so soon. On The Move? Dont rule out the possibility of the Blue Jays dealing Adam Lind next week. Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay both want free agent first baseman James Loney. But the team that doesnt get him might come a-calling about Lind. Names From the Past A few more ex-Jays in the news this week include former 2B Kelly Johnson, who is reportedly close to signing a one-year deal with the Yankees in a utility role. Eric Hinske, who won the Rookie of the Year Award as the Blue Jays third baseman in 2002, retired to become the Chicago Cubs first base coach. Finally Dave Winfield, one of the Jays World Series heroes of 1992, left his front office post with San Diego to become special advisor to Tony Clark, the new Executive Director of the Players Association. Winfield and Clark are two of the most impressive and imposing men Ive ever met, both charismatic and intelligent and just dominant in size when they enter a room with Winfield at 66" and Clark at 68". The Players Association is in good hands after the tragic passing of Michael Weiner at 51 after a long battle with brain cancer. 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