"He's a great player. I've known him for a long time and played against him in junior, too. I know what kind of a player he is - a skilled player, big guy, skates well and thinks the game at a high level. I'm excited to see what we can do here."
MONAHAN ON HIS AND JOHNNY GAUDREAU'S EXPECTATIONS:
"It's a team game and you want to do whatever you can to help the team win, but my goal this year is to get in the playoffs and make a mark there. If you look at our roster, we have a deeper team than we've ever had. … Both of us didn't have the best of seasons last year, but we're both motivated to push each other to help push the team and we're really looking forward to this season."
MARK GIORDANO ON IMPORTANCE OF YEAR:
"Looking at it individually, for myself, I am getting older. As every year goes by, you feel like there's one more lost opportunity. Collectively as a group, we have to put together a great season, get into the playoffs and go deep. That's the goal of the core guys that have been here for a long time."
GIORDANO ON ANIMOSITY WITH JETS:
"I thought we had a hard-fought series against the Jets. It was physical; it was emotional. Anytime you play a team recently like we have, there will definitely be some carryover and emotion, and that's a good thing."
GEOFF WARD ON JACOB MARKSTROM:
"He looks like he's ready to go. The thing with him is that, from Day 1 when he arrived in Calgary, he's been grabbing guys to go out and shoot. There's a certain amount of work that he demands and his work ethic is exceptional. Every time he goes on the ice, it's been very business-like. … He's ready to go and we're looking forward to having him in net."
WARD ON 'THE PROCESS':
"Especially in the situation we're in, we're trying to assimilate so many new players in our lineup. We have to be patient and really pay attention to results as they're happening. But by no stretch of the imagination do we feel we're complete here. Next week, the four practice days are going to be really helpful for us. We're looking forward to going through the process and we're going to diligent with it."
WARD ON THE FIRST COVID ROAD TRIP:
"No surprises at all. It's been smooth. The NHL has done a good job in terms of their protocols and preparing things. The guys are enjoying it and we're ready for the game."
