'I KNOW SHE'S WATCHING'

Every traveller has a home of his own.
"And he learns to appreciate it," Charles Dickens wrote, "more, from his wandering."
For Blake Coleman, homecomings like this always tug at the heartstrings. Fifteen years after leaving his abode in Plano, Texas, the now 30-year-old family man looks back on his upbringing with a twinkle in his eye.
The sight-seeing and dinner spots.
Family, friends, and the crush of indelible memories. All of it, a cherished part of what makes the Flames forward a proud Texan.
But sadly, a big of piece of himself will be missing tonight when the Flames take on the Stars at American Airlines Center.

"She's the reason I play the game," Coleman said of his late grandmother, Marie Hoffman, who passed away last week. "We grew up going to Stars games together. She kind of helped me find that passion and love for the game.
"We always shared that.
"It will be a little eerie playing here without her around, but I'd like to gout there and play a great game for her.
"I know she's watching."

Coleman shared the story of her passing on Instagram last week, saying it was "hard to put into words what she meant to me."
The winger was only two years old when he began going to Stars games - Marie, a displaced Islanders fan at the time, buying season tickets at the old Reunion Arena after the Stars re-located from Minnesota.
He was hooked.
All time, only 10 players in NHL history have been born in Texas, with five currently plying their trade in The Show.
It's not hard to see why The Lone Star State would keep such a special place in his heart. He's currently building a house in his hometown Plano, and when he got a chance to bring the Stanley Cup back this past summer, a backyard BBQ was the venue of choice.
So, while one seat at The Hangar will be remain empty tonight, Coleman estimates that 20 family and friends will be on hand. His wife, Jordan, and two daughters, Charlie and Carson, also made the trip down to catch the game and mingle with the Coleman clan.
He could think of no better tribute to the woman that got him here than by putting on a good show in the place it all started.
"It's always great to be back," said Coleman, who will play in his eighth-career game in Dallas tonight. "There's not a ton of us that were born and raised here in Texas, so it's always fun for me to be back here and see old teammates, friends, and obviously family that were such a big part of my journey in getting me to where I am.
"We always get to reminisce a little bit when we come back here and kind of think about the path that got you here and all the good relationships that you've built through the game of hockey. It's also a great environment. They have great fans here, they're passionate about hockey, so it's good. I'm excited to be here. It's always fun to have my family at the games.
"It will be a family affair and hopefully we can put some smiles on their faces with a win."

Yes, Everything's Bigger in Texas - but when it comes to community and the bonds the Colemans have forged down south, it's clear the small-town vibe still applies. It's why, after seeing the parallels between Plano and Calgary, that Coleman chose the Stampede City on a six-year deal over the off-season.
And, why he ran into Dr. Phil - of all people - at dinner last night in Dallas. "Nice guy," Coleman said, comically brushing off the star-studded encounter.
Small word, hey?
Personally, Coleman has been heating up of late with seven points (4G, 3A) in his last 11 games, while playing a key role on one of the stingiest penalty killing units in the league.
Collectively, the Flames are coming off a 1-0 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday and are playing the final two games on back-to-back nights before the NHL All-Star Break.
As they reach the official midpoint of the season tonight, both player and team are looking to finish off the first half on a high.
"We do have games in hand and we've said it all along that they only benefit you or matter if you're able to get points out of them," Coleman said. "(We have) a couple big games here before the break. Obviously, we've got to focus on tonight first and get a couple big points here. The division's tight, every point matters, and you can't take a night off.
"It will be a great test. They're obviously a good team with a lot of really good players in that room, so we've got to show up ready to play."