The Ontario Hockey League is only five games old for the young Ottawa 67 forward and Sean Monahan is among the country's hottest junior aged players.  To start the 2011-12 OHL season, Monahan has already notched five multipoint games including two three-point efforts and has immediately started turning heads.

Currently Monahan's twelve points has him third in OHL scoring and first among all Ottawa 67 players. Born October 12^th, 1994 in Brampton, Ontario, Monahan's late birthday does not make him eligible for the NHL Entry draft until 2013 giving him two more full seasons to dominate and impress scouts along the way.  In a draft year featuring phenom forward Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads) and defenseman Seth Jones (US NTDP), Monahan is making certain that his skills and strong offensive game does not go unnoticed.

Sean Monahan was the16^th overall pick of the Ottawa 67's in the 2010 Priority Selection Draft highlighted by players such as Alex Galchenyuk (2012 NHL Eligible; Sarnia Sting), Nick Ebert (2012 NHL Eligible; Windsor Spitfires) and Matia Marcantuoni (2012 Eligible; Kitchener Rangers).  The Dean's List flashes back to that specific OHL Draft and can vividly remember Monahan's name being thrown around as one of the most talented offensive players of that draft class.  However, Monahan's rise up the OHL draft rankings was a direct result of his stellar minor hockey and international play.  As discussion begins for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the hockey world will quickly become aware of the game that Sean Monahan plays and there will be no shortage of teams coveting the big pivot from Mississauga.

At 6-foot-2-inches, Monahan owns great size and has an uncanny ability to find open ice to score those timely goals.  Monahan is a powerful pivot with great athleticism and his smooth skating stride makes him capable of creating space for himself and teammates.  The soon-to-be 17-year old is mature beyond his years and it translates to his game on the ice.  Monahan displays the patience needed to succeed in today's game and thrives with the puck on his stick.  Defenders must keep good gap control as Monahan has a full arsenal of offensive skills. He can beat you one-on-one, saucer a pass to a teammate or simply snap one by you on the fly.

The Mississauga native represented his Rebels Midget AAA team as a fourteen year old and tallied a dazzling 46 goals and 90 points in 47 games.  Scouts immediately noticed the offensive flare and strong hockey intelligence that Monahan was blessed with. As a result, Scouts would follow Monahan to the OHL Cup where he continued his dominance scoring five points in a semi-final win that would send the Rebels to the OHL Cup Final game.  Not surprisingly, Monahan solidified his MVP performance with a goal and assist in the Championship game.  To reiterate- Sean Monahan scored points on his teams last seven goals in two very clutch performances. The Dean's List finds this statistic a truly remarkable one.

Slowed by an early wrist injury, Monahan started his rookie season with moderate numbers but quickly developed the confidence to end his OHL freshman season on a strong note with 20 goals and 47 points in 65 games.  The strong finish was enough to squeeze him into the OHL's Top 10 rookie scorers.  Furthermore, last season's development earned Monahan a roster spot on Team Ontario's Under-17 team for the World Hockey Challenge.  The tournament would prove to be the breakout that Monahan needed as he, once again, became the focal point on a very talented team.

Sean Monahan led Team Ontario with seven points in six games which included back-to-back two goal performances in both the semi-final 2-1 overtime win and Championship 5-3 win.  Monahan was accurately casted as the hero when he collected the game-winning goals in both games.  The ability to rise to elite levels in such critical hockey games have kick-started the Sean Monahan hype train and It does not appear to be slowing down one.

NHL organizations are continuously searching for the next big franchise centreman to build around.  Sean Monahan offers the potential to become an extremely significant impact player at the next level.  The young Ottawa 67 forward plays the game with a ton of passion and it appears that Sean has that "it" factor that often vaults players to "star" status at the next level.  Look for Monahan to display his deft puck handling skills and clutch goal scoring ability as he continues to dominate the OHL for the next two years.  The Dean's List fully expects the Ottawa 67's number 20 to make his appearance on box scores around the league as he authenticates his skills.