Dave Manson’s next great battle? His son Josh’s Avalanche

While many focus on the marquee of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, Dave Manson and Josh Manson have another matchup worth following

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

May 31, 2022, 1:15 PM

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Dave Manson is one of 357 people to play over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League. The enforcing defenseman put the black and blue onto blue lines in the 90s. Playing for the Blackhawks, Oilers, Jets, Canadians, Maple Leafs, Stars and Coyotes, Manson had a very successful career.

But Manson never hoisted a cup. He came close a few times, twice in Chicago and once in Edmonton Manson made it to the Conference Final. Eventually, he went to the Stanley Cup Final with Dallas toward the end of his career but lost in six games.

Manson is again battling for the cup, this time as an assistant coach for the Oilers. And the author of 72 fights in his playing career will have a big one this week from the bench. Dave Manson will have to battle his son Josh Manson on the road to Lord Stanley, guaranteeing a Manson playing for the cup.

“Either way, it goes; its exciting times,” Dave told Sportsnet. ”I’ve spent a few years in the NHL and Josh is nine years into his career. It’s a unique opportunity. It doesn’t happen very often in one’s career. So you want to try to take advantage of it whenever you can and enjoy it.”

Like father, like son, Josh, a deadline pickup for the Colorado Avalanche, has not won a Stanley Cup in his near-500 game career. And similar to dad, he failed to get there in his first shot, losing as a Duck in the 2017 Conference Final.

“Family comes first; that’s been my dad’s motto. I think it’s different because he’s behind the bench, he’s not on the ice—so that makes things a lot different,” Josh said. “We’ll talk and we’ll communicate. But we never really talk hockey, it’s never about each other’s teams or personal things. So I think the relationship really doesn’t need to change. I don’t think there will be any lines crossed. We’ll keep our secrets to ourselves.”

Josh said Dave is excellent about letting his son have his own career, only chiming in when it’s absolutely necessary, which he feels must make his dad a good coach. Josh says he also admires what he knows about his dad’s game, a hard-nosed style, and protecting the area out in front of the net.

“You want your kids to do well,” Dave said. “A bit selfishly. Yeah, I want to see my granddaughter.”

Dave got to his granddaughter Monday, Josh said.

Josh said that his two-year-old girl does love her grandfather but joked, “she better be rooting for me.”
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