[MissTeeks]

^ Lots of good quotes in that article:

http://flamesfrom80feet.blogspot.ca/...uture-and.html

Born 16 months apart, Calgary Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother Matt are tight.

"Everywhere we've been together, we've just been so close," Gaudreau said after Monday's development camp scrimmage at WinSport.

"We shared rooms growing up until we were 17 years old, our Dad coached both of our hockey teams, back-to-back games every weekend -- his game and then my game."

Over the years, Gaudreau said they even picked their schools together.

"The reason why we picked Boston College is they wanted us both and that was really special for us," said Calgary's fourth round draft pick in the 2011 draft.

It's that elusive, unteachable raw offensive skill set, which has left Flames fans having sleepless nights in fear that they might lose Gaudreau in the same way Anaheim lost Justin Schultz last summer when the college graduate refused to sign with the Ducks and became a free agent. Those alarm sirens began wailing last spring when Gaudreau announced he was returning to Boston College for a third year.


However, Gaudreau's been clear with his motivation. He wants the chance to play with his brother. He says he also wants to get bigger so he's better prepared to handle the rigors of the professional game. Essentially, he's hoping one more year will get him to a weight that will keep him an effective player.

"Playing with some of the bigger bodies this year, the bigger guys at this camp, I can tell how much guys are getting stronger and I know that if I want to make it to the next level, I obviously need to get stronger and bigger in the right areas," said Gaudreau. "That was one of my biggest concerns in going back to school."

Gaudreau says one of his biggest concerns is being able to play well at the pro level and not be a liability.


"I just want to make sure that when I come in or if I come in, I’m ready to go," said Gaudreau. "I don’t want to be one of the weak links out there. I want to make sure that I’m not a concern out on the ice. I want to make sure that I’m valuable on the ice and not just one of those players that oh, oh, he’s on the ice, we’ve got to watch out."

Having enjoyed a great week at the Flames development camp, his third with the club, Gaudreau sounds genuinely excited about Calgary's future.


"Last year there were good guys but this year with their draft and all the young guys they’ve gotten and a lot of good free agents they’ve picked up like Corban Knight, it just shows where the organization is going and I’m really excited to see the next few years," he said.

Fans would like that too. As it stood Monday afternoon, they already couldn't get enough of 'little' Johnny Gaudreau as he signed autographs and posed for pictures with small kids, big kids and even a bunch of Dads.


"Yeah, it’s something I never really expected. I’ve never had the chance to do that stuff before," Gaudreau said about all the attention. "It’s a lot of fun coming up here, seeing all the fans, and seeing how much they love their hockey so it’s pretty cool."

Sounds like a great kid!