Giordano no longer 'best-kept secret' for Flames

The drum beat has been steadily growing louder.

Week after week. Month after month.

More and more people around the NHL are catching on to just how fantastic Mark Giordano is playing defence for the Calgary Flames.

Brian Burke more or less called Giordano and Sean Monahan as untouchable as they come for the franchise several times within the past few months.

Another offering of high praise from coach Bob Hartley via The Calgary Herald:

“For sure, he’s up there, with the best,” lauds Hartley. “For sure. I really believe, I’ll go as far as this — if we’d had a full season last year, Gio would’ve been on the Canadian Olympic Team for Russia. No doubt in my mind.

“He empties himself every game. Not a drop left. Know when I had no doubt that he was our new captain? The last game in Chicago last year. We’re out of the playoffs, everybody’s minds are already on summer and he’s out there blocking shots by Duncan Keith and Seabrook. Watching that game, watching that commitment when it would’ve easier to get out of the way with those guys loading up, just put the cherry on top of the sundae in my mind. My only candidate.

“Gio never takes an easy day. He does things with pride. He’s seeking perfection. And he’s so much fun to work with, he’s always happy, always open-minded. Ask him a question, you always get the truth and you always get an answer full of common sense.”

Also: “We used to have him all to ourselves,” muses Hartley. “We used to call Gio ‘the best-kept secret in the NHL.’ ”

Source: George Johnson, Calgary Herald