Jets’ Monahan scores first-period hat trick against Flames

A natural hat trick feels good at any point. But against your former team, it has to feel extra good.

That’s exactly what Winnipeg Jets forward Sean Monahan experienced Monday when he scored a natural hat trick against the Calgary Flames, a team he played nine seasons for.

All three goals came in the first period, his 15th, 16th and 17th goals of the season. It’s only the second hat trick of Monahan’s career and he became the first Jets player to score a natural hat trick in the first period.

Monahan reminded Flames fans what he does best, as he did the majority of his work Monday from right in front of the net, pouncing on juicy rebounds given up by Calgary netminder Jacob Markstrom.

The Jets acquired Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens earlier this month in exchange for a first-round pick in this year’s NHL draft and a conditional third-round pick in 2027.

It was the second time that Monahan had secured a first-round pick for the Habs, as the other time was when he was traded from the Flames.

Montreal acquired Monahan and a conditional first-round draft pick in 2025 from Calgary on Aug. 18, 2022, for future considerations, allowing the Flames to shed Monahan’s US$6.375-million cap hit at the time.

Selected sixth overall by the Flames in the 2013 draft, he played nine seasons in Calgary and exceeded 30 goals three times — including a 34-goal, 82-point campaign in 2018-19.

Monahan scored just eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 65 games during his final season with the Flames, which ended early when he underwent hip surgery.

— With files from the Canadian Press