'FUNNY HOW THINGS WORK OUT'

It's always nice to see a familiar face in the crowd.
Especially when you're the new guy.
Rory Kerins is certainly thankful.
The Flames' sixth-round pick in the recent virtual draft will now, as all prospective NHLers do, have a big mountain to climb in order to secure a regular job in the world's top loop.
Being able to lean on Sean Monahan for some advice, tips and encouragement on that journey will be invaluable.

"It's pretty funny how things work out like that," Kerins said. "My dad coached him in minor hockey and my brother was good friends with him growing up. I skated with him a couple times and always looked to try to model my game around his; it's pretty cool to be drafted to the team he is on.
"He is a great guy to learn from and I'll be picking his brain a lot to help me get my game to the next step."
It's been a long road to get to this point for Kerins, of course made even longer by this year's Covid-delayed draft.
From all the Zoom calls as the day inched closer, to the late nights wondering what would happen on the big day, it wasn't an easy process. But Kerins knew that he did everything he could to impress - and it was out of his hands now.
And then came that magical moment he had waited and dreamt about.
"I woke up extra early that morning having a bit of a restless night and had a good hard workout to unwind a bit," he said. "There were a lot of emotions when I finally saw my name pop up on the board. I kind of just broke down right there because I didn't know what would happen and it was just a lot of happiness and relief that went through me. I worked so hard for that moment and I was proud of myself when I saw I was drafted.
"Everything has been leading up to this moment and this is something I will remember forever, especially with having my family to share it with. There are so many people who have helped me both on and off the ice. You need a great support group to motivate and be there for you and I couldn't have done this without all those closest to me."

Skating for the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Kerins impressed in his sophomore season with 59 points (30G, 29A) in 64 contests. With a 21-goal and 36-point improvement, his game took off in more ways than one.
It wasn't just offensively, but in the defensive end as well, that the 5-foot-10 centreman improved his game, playing with more confidence and maturity.
All the extra hours in the gym and an intense off-season training paid off as he caught the attention of the Flames scouting staff, which ultimately led to him being selected 174th overall.
"The thing we love about him is that he can play in all situations," Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. "He plays a full 200-foot game and any coaches dream player because he is so well rounded and can be trusted in key moments.
"He took big strides this past season and is a very competitive player that doesn't take a shift off."
Kerins knew headed into his draft year that there would be more expectations out of him and met the challenge head on. With the help of teammates and the coaching staff, he was set up for success and let his game do the talking.

"My first year was a huge learning curve," he said. "I learned from the older players of what I needed to do to improve and in that summer I was motivated to get better and be a reliable player.
"I got back to playing the way I used to back in my minor hockey days. As a rookie, you tend to try and do too much and for me I realized that I just had to get back to what my game is all about.
"As soon as I did that, the points started to come for me and I was playing looser and with more confidence in my abilities. The game started to slow down for me and the plays seemed to come to me instead of chasing it all the time."
But while achieving the goal of being drafted was great, it's just another step up that mountain - and the summit is still a long ways off.
"I know there's more I can offer and going to keep putting the work in," he said. "In my eyes the real work starts now and I have to keep doing what I'm doing, but ramp it up a bit more to reach my full potential."