When free agency began a summer ago, the Blue Jackets’ front office had Sean Monahan in its crosshairs.
So did his friends on the CBJ roster.
“Oh yeah, we were all over him to come here when he had the chance – because we knew,” said defenseman Erik Gudbranson, who played with Monahan in Calgary. “He’s an unbelievable person. He’s a great hockey player. He’s a great competitor, great leader. He was just the perfect fit for us."
Gudbranson was proved more than correct during the 2024-25 season, as Monahan was everything the Blue Jackets could have hoped for and more after signing a five-year contract last July.
Fully healthy after overcoming injuries, he was the No. 1 center on a resurgent Blue Jackets team, posting more than a point per game. He quickly became a presence in the locker room, lauded for his professionalism, consistency and a sneaky sense of humor that kept Blue Jackets players on their toes. Monahan also took such growing talents as Adam Fantilli under his wing, helping his fellow pivot become the youngest player in the NHL to top 30 goals this season.
And Monahan did it all with the burden of grief hanging on his shoulders. One of the major draws for the 30-year-old to come to Columbus was the chance to reunite with one of his best friends, Johnny Gaudreau, and the two hoped to lead the Blue Jackets while raising their kids together in the capital city.
Then, unimaginable tragedy followed, as Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were struck and killed last August in a bicycle accident that shocked not just the hockey world but sports in general.
Through the toughest of times, Monahan's character shined through. He was a beacon of consistency and professionalism, which were recognized today when he was awarded the Masterton Trophy, given annually by the Professional Hockey Writers Association to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.
Amid the excitement and sadness of his first season in Columbus, Monahan carried Gaudreau's spirit with him and found solace in a team and a community. The brotherhood in the Blue Jackets locker room provided a home for the Ontario native, and Monahan and his family felt an immediate bond with the city of Columbus and a 5th Line that was there in the most trying of times.
“I love it,” Monahan said of being in Columbus. “My family loves it. I had a lot of good intel from some good friends to come here who told me all about the city. It’s a special place. I’ve said it since I’ve got here, it’s felt like home since day one. It will most likely potentially be my forever home. We really enjoy living here and representing the Blue Jackets."
When Monahan put pen to paper to join the Blue Jackets less than 365 days ago, he never could have anticipated all that would follow. Somehow, through it all, he’s ended up where it feels like he’s supposed to be.
“He’s handled himself with class and dignity and professionalism,” head coach Dean Evason said. “He’s been not only an incredible hockey player but an incredible presence within our dressing room all year. He leads by ultimate example. Just to watch him every day, our guys, everybody can get better.”
A Leader in the Room
The Blue Jackets welcomed Monahan into a veteran group that included such players as Boone Jenner, who has been the captain since the start of the 2021-22 season; Zach Werenski, a Norris trophy finalist whose voice has increased in recent seasons; fellow alternate captains Gudbranson and Sean Kuraly; and an emerging leader in the form of Mathieu Olivier.
Columbus also has a core of young players who took major steps during this past season, as such talents as Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Cole Sillinger and Denton Mateychuk continued their growth into being high-level players in the NHL.
Perhaps the unique thing about Monahan is just how well he was able to fit into both groups. In his 12th NHL season, he was able to seamlessly move into the existing leadership council for the Blue Jackets while also developing close ties with the up-and-comers.
“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met in hockey and outside of hockey,” said Fantilli, who often spoke throughout the season about how much he learned from Monahan. “As a young guy, he’s great to watch. He’s a great role model.”
Jenner is just 16 months older than Monahan and a fellow Ontario native, but they hadn’t crossed paths too often until the latter ended up in Columbus. They’d met a few times and had some mutual friends, but this season was the first time they had spent extensive time together.
Jenner knew the addition of Monahan would add another respected voice into the mix, but the captain said he didn't appreciate everything Monahan brings to the table until he saw it up close.
“It’s been fantastic,” Jenner said. “I can’t say enough good things about him as a person, as a teammate, and then what he brings on the ice. I knew a little bit about him before – not to the extent of obviously playing a year with him, but I knew the kind of player he was. His play speaks for itself, and everything he does out there, he does it the right way.
“But off the ice, as well, the type of teammate he is, the leader in the room that he is, he’s just a great guy to have on your side and in your locker room. We’re very lucky to have him, and what he brought this year, it speaks for itself. He’s so valuable to our team.”
Monahan is generally a stoic, quiet player in front of the cameras, but his teammates spoke throughout the season about the way his personality meshed within the locker room. Part of that came from his sneaky sense of humor, with teammates routinely saying he’s one of the funniest players on the team and talking about his propensity for playing practical jokes around the room.
For Monahan, the fact that he was welcomed so quickly is one reason he felt like he could be himself amid his teammates on a daily basis.
“We have such a good group in here,” Monahan said. “It’s so much fun coming to the rink. You can’t take that for granted. Not every team you’re on is this close and you have that bond where you step on the ice and everyone has each other’s back. ... It’s a special group and something I’m very happy to be a part of.”
A Difference Maker on the Ice
Monahan has always been a consistent producer in the NHL, averaging 28 goals and 77 games played in his first seven seasons with the Flames from 2014-20. But injuries took their toll as he got deeper into his career, as Monahan was limited by hip procedures to just 90 games between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
It was a trying time for someone who prides himself on contributing to the team, but those closest to him knew he’d battle his way back.
“He’s dealt with everything,” Gudbranson said. “The big (injuries) he’s had, they take a year-plus to sort out and put your body back together and whatnot. He’s in a good place right now. He seems like he’s put his body back together after a few tough years, a few tough injuries, and he has confidence (with the Blue Jackets) playing with some good linemates. And he just works really hard.”
In the end, the rehab also allowed him to get back to the player he knew he could be the past two seasons. Splitting the 2023-24 season between Montreal and Winnipeg, he was back to his usual level of production, notching 26 goals among his 59 points.
That made him one of the top centers on the market last summer, but even the Blue Jackets couldn’t have anticipated the level of production he delivered in his first season in Columbus. Despite missing two months with a wrist injury, Monahan’s 57 points – on 19 goals and 38 assists – were the most ever for a CBJ player in his first 54 games with the team.
In addition, Monahan’s plus-19 rating tied for sixth all-time in franchise history among forwards, and he won 52.6 percent of his faceoffs on the season. Monahan also led the NHL at 5-on-5 in assists per 60 minutes (2.18, minimum 25 games played) and ranked second in points per 60 minutes (3.07).
He did it while playing with a bevy of linemates, developing immediate chemistry with Kirill Marchenko but delivering the same level of play no matter if Yegor Chinakhov, Dmitri Voronkov or Boone Jenner was on the other side.
“It’s super easy and fun to play with him because it’s hard to nail down one thing he’s good at,” Jenner said. “He’s good at everything. He’s so smart of a player that he puts himself in such good positions, and he can make plays. He has really good reads. When he gets the puck in a scoring chance, it’s dangerous because he can put the puck in the back of the net. He battles.”
It’s also no coincidence that the Blue Jackets took a major step forward with Monahan on the roster. His ability to play as the team’s No. 1 center and elevate his linemates gave Columbus a legitimate top line, and it allowed the team’s younger centers to slot in down the lineup to give the team depth down the middle.
“He’s just so huge for this room and for this team,” Olivier said late in the season. “Monny just does everything right. The first thing I think about Monny when I think about him is how good of a teammate and a person he is. Then you add in the fact that he’s a phenomenal hockey player, one of the best two-way centers in the game.
“He’s meant a lot to us. You can think about Zach Werenski on D and Monahan up front for us. Those are the two drivers I believe right now for our team.”
Those engines helped the Blue Jackets make a 23-point jump in the standings, but the season ended two points short of the team’s goal of being back in the postseason. With an ever-improving group of youngsters and a solid veteran leadership group, the Blue Jackets hope to make the next step when the 2025-26 season begins in a few months.
So what can Monahan do for an encore? He could keep producing at a point-per-game level and serve as a leader for the roster’s growing stars, but in the end, Monahan will judge himself on if the Blue Jackets have a Stanley Cup Playoffs patch on their sweaters at the end of next season.
“I don’t think anyone knew what to expect from the start,” Monahan said of his first season in Columbus. “I think it was maybe after the second game of the year, we were in Colorado and I had a sense this is a good team. You get that feeling and you ride with it. You put in the work every day, and you never know where it’s going to take you. I don’t think anyone had an expectation.
"You come in and try to win every game, give yourself a chance to win. We started to ride with that. It took us to where we were, but we fell short. We gotta find ways to improve our game and get back in a situation where we’re going to be playing playoff hockey.”
