The American Hockey League is where aspiring National Hockey League stars sharpen their skills and develop into professional athletes.  In hockey, teams benefit from being able to scout athletes from a young age and even draft them before they are considered NHL-ready.  The Manchester Monarchs, the primary affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, have helped develop many of the Kings young draft picks and seen various players go on to make an impact on an NHL roster, either with the Kings or another organization.  Currently, there is speculation that this group of Monarchs players may be amongst the most talented they have seen since their inception in 2001.  One of these players who the Kings have scouted since a young age and has grown tremendously over the past few seasons is center Jordan Weal.  Weal, the 21 year-old from North Vancouver, British Columbia, has been a prime example of a player who has moved through the hockey levels with great success, is now a key contributor for the Monarchs team, and aims to make the jump to the NHL in the near future.  Off to a great start this season, there is a feeling that Weal is one of several players wearing a Monarchs uniform that could be skating in the NHL before long.

Weal’s hockey career officially took flight when he was drafted by the Regina Pats junior hockey team of the Western Hockey League in May 2007, shortly after turning 16 years of age.  Even though Weal was skating alongside players up to four years older than he was, he wasted no time becoming a factor for the team.  In each of his first two full years in Regina, Weal led the team in assists and finished second in total points scored to center Jordan Eberle, who has spent the last four seasons with the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

“In Regina, they gave me an opportunity right away when I was 16 and I think that really helped me,” said Weal about his early career with the Pats.  “I got to play with Jordan Eberle and you can see what he’s doing now; he’s playing in the NHL and scoring a lot of points.  He was a really good guy that I got to play with a lot in my first year.  I learned a lot from him because he’s a small guy and he kind of showed me the ropes and I think that helped me step into the WHL.  In the years to follow, I think I really came into my own.”

Following a 102-point second season in Regina, Weal was selected by the Kings in the third round (70th overall) 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  In his first year as a member of the Kings organization, Weal would remain with the Pats and go on to lead the team in goals-scored, assists, and total points throughout the 2010-11 season before heading to Manchester and playing in seven games as the Monarchs concluded their season.

The next year, Weal would continue his dominance at the junior level, leading the Regina Pats with 41 goals and 75 assists while posting more than double the amount of total points (116) scored by any other teammate.  After joining the Monarchs for their final few games in the 2011-12 season, the organization decided it was time that he stayed put in Manchester.

“It was interesting, but I had success early and I think that helped my confidence stepping into the league.  I just tried to keep it rolling from there,” said Weal looking back on his transition from junior hockey to his first time skating as a professional.

Weal would go on to play in 63 regular season games for the Monarchs during their 2012-13 campaign, registering solid numbers throughout the year.  After collecting his first professional goal against the Springfield Falcons on November 30, 2012, Weal would continue to score another 14 goals and 18 assists for a total of 33 points (15-18=33) in his first full season with the Monarchs.  His final numbers had him ranked fifth on the team in points (33), seventh in assists (18) and tied for second on the team with six power play goals.  Seeing his first action in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs, Weal registered two assists in four games while the Monarchs battled the Falcons.  Although Springfield would bounce Manchester from the playoffs in the first round, Weal came away from his first full AHL season having gained valuable experience that would propel him into the role as a key contributor this season.

“I think it was a confidence thing last year,” explained Weal.  “We had 17 forwards at the beginning of the year and it was tough to get in the game.  You got into one game and if you weren’t on your game, then you’d be sitting for two and then you’d get back in.  It was a tough situation, but I think it helped me understand that if things don’t go our way for a couple games, not to get down, and keep your confidence high.  You’re here for a reason and you have to play like you can to be successful.”

On a team with a lot of talent competing for not only a place on the Monarchs roster, but the chance to play at the next level, Weal emphasized the importance of embracing the competition and learning from the other players on the team.

“We are all young guys and I think that if we all work hard and work together, it’s only going to be good for everyone because when you win as a team, everyone has individual success,” Weal reasoned.  “I think we’re young guys with lots of energy and are always feeding off each other and learning from each other; always talking in practice about things we saw in the game.  I think everyone takes things from everyone because if you’re not doing that, then you’re probably not getting better, and that’s what you have to do.”

In his fourth year attending the Kings training camp in September, Weal put together a solid effort and left feeling ready to start the 2013-14 season back on the East Coast.

“Every time you get up there, you learn new stuff because it’s the top level and the best players in the world,” explained Weal.  “I think now, it’s just a matter of trying to get that opportunity to play with them and when you get there, just enjoy it because this is why you play hockey; to try to play in the best league in the world and one day win the Stanley Cup hopefully.  You just have to enjoy every moment and work as hard as you can to try to earn your spot in the NHL.

“Personally, I try to get better in all areas because hockey is shooting, passing, tipping, screening, scoring, and defending”, Jordan continued.  “There are so many different parts to the game that if you try to evolve your game as one then I think you’re going to become a better player in the long run.  That’s my main goal.”

In the season-opener in Springfield on October 5, Weal put the puck in the net in the first period to become the first Monarchs player to score during their 2013-14 campaign.  After stringing together several multiple-assist games against Providence, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and St. John’s, Weal finds himself with nine points (1-8=9) through 10 games, ranking him third on the team in total points.  His eight assists have him tied with center Linden Vey for the team’s lead, and both players are tied for third place across the American Hockey League in the category.  Weal’s plus/minus rating of plus-5 is tied for second best on the team, making it even more evident that he makes the team perform better whenever he is on the ice.

“It’s definitely coming easier; its experience,” Weal explained regarding his early-season success.  “Once you have one year under your belt, every year, it’s going to be easier and easier if you continue to get better.  I think that I got better this summer and hopefully I can keep getting better this winter and we can win a lot of hockey games as a team; that’d be awesome.”

A lot of players have trouble moving through the ranks along their pursuit to the NHL, but Weal has embraced every new challenge and turned his experiences into opportunities for growth and fundamental progress.  After improving each year in his junior career, Weal seems destined to continue to do so at the AHL level.  Although it is early in the season, it is difficult to bet against any player who continues to work relentlessly toward further developing his skills while learning from the talented supporting cast of players and coaches within the Monarchs organization.

Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris agreed that Weal is one of those players who is never satisfied, and that is one of the reasons why he has continued to be successful and is able to help the team the way he has.

“I think he really takes ownership of his game,” said Morris.  “He’s a guy that’s willing to go the extra mile to make sure he maximizes his abilities.  He studies the game and wants to get better every day; he’ll watch video, he’ll do extra stick handling, he’ll work on his moves.  You don’t have to tell him twice what to do.  He really takes it to heart and he wants to be that good teammate and a guy that’s coachable.  I think that the progress he has made, especially over the last years, has been remarkable.

“He’ll come off (the ice) after a tough shift or bobbling a puck and expresses his disappointment in himself.  He’s not a guy that’s going to point fingers; he looks within, and his teammates are starting to see all the growth that’s happened because of his ability to strive for excellence.  He’s a guy that’s making great strides and he’ll continue with that attitude.”

Weal’s attitude and understanding of the process it takes to develop into an NHL starter may be one of the main reasons the 21 year-old continues to make the strides that Coach Morris mentioned.

“It’s more of a personal mindset for guys, I think,” said Weal.  “If you go into every summer and every season trying to get better and working as hard as you can, you’re going to get better.  You see it every step you go up.  There are guys that kind of get satisfied and stop working, and that’s kind of where they plateau in their career.  You don’t want to be one of those guys; you want to be the guy that keeps working and keeps getting better no matter how high you reach.  You want to get better every day and try to improve your game.  That’s what I’m trying to do, and have fun while doing it.”

Jordan Weal and the Monarchs look to improve upon their Atlantic Division-best record of 6-1-1-2 this weekend with back-to-back games against the Providence Bruins.  The two teams square off on Friday at 7:05 at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, and then at home on Saturday at 7:00 at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester.