Maurice William Mantha, Jr. (born January 21, 1961) is a retired American-born Canadian professional
ice hockey defenseman and former coach who played twelve seasons in the
National Hockey League (NHL) with the
Winnipeg Jets,
Pittsburgh Penguins,
Edmonton Oilers,
Minnesota North Stars and
Philadelphia Flyers.
Playing career
Mantha was born while his father,
Moe Mantha, Sr., was playing for the
Cleveland Barons of the
American Hockey League. He was subsequently raised in
Canada, when his father retired from hockey and returned to his hometown of
Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. Moe Mantha Jr. represented the United States in international hockey: he was a member of the U.S. team in the 1981, 1985 and 1991
Ice Hockey World Championships as well as the
1992 Winter Olympics.
He first played for the
Toronto Marlboros of the
Ontario Hockey Association in 1978, and was drafted by the NHL
Winnipeg Jets in 1980. He played for the Jets or their minor league farm teams until 1984, when he was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins. He was then traded to the
Edmonton Oilers in 1988; the Oilers traded him to the
Minnesota North Stars later the same season. He later played for the
Philadelphia Flyers and another stint with the Penguins.
In the 1992-1993 season, Mantha played for the AHL
Hershey Bears; he subsequently retired from playing and became a hockey coach for teams in the AHL (Hershey Bears & Cincinnati Mighty Ducks), the
East Coast Hockey League (Columbus Chill) and the revived World...
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