During Todd Nelson’s first year as head coach of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, Anthony Mantha achieved 21 goals and 45 points in 60 games. “It’s the year he kind of pushed me forward and I took a good step forward, meaning after that, I didn’t see him again in the American League,” said Mantha, recalling his progression to the NHL.
Nelson and Mantha will reunite in Pittsburgh for the 2025-26 season. Nelson has been appointed as an assistant coach while Mantha signed a one-year contract valued at $2.5 million with performance bonuses.
The 30-year-old forward brings extensive NHL experience with a record of 146 goals, 157 assists, and 303 points over 507 games with Calgary, Vegas, Washington, and Detroit. Despite undergoing knee surgery last November which limited his playtime to just 13 games with the Flames, Mantha is optimistic about his recovery. “It’s been a long time. I should be ready for camp,” he said.
The Penguins have shown interest in Mantha for some time. Pittsburgh’s President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas commented on The Hockey PDOcast that Mantha has always been seen as having “tremendous potential.” Although discussions occurred last summer before he signed with Calgary, this year Pitt offered an appealing opportunity from the start of free agency.
Mantha expressed gratitude towards Pittsburgh: “Luckily enough, Pitt came through… It was hard to look past them.” Dubas added that the team is eager to see what Mantha can achieve post-injury with an incentive-based deal: “He can come in here…and prove it.”
In preparation for his return, Mantha has resumed skating and plans intensive practice sessions leading up to training camp. He emphasized readiness: “I need to really get back into it… If I have a good chance at shooting the puck, I’ll shoot it.”
Reflecting on previous experiences playing alongside stars like Alex Ovechkin in Washington—where he assisted Ovechkin’s historic goal—Mantha looks forward to teaming up with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh. “It’s going to be learning from them… Hopefully I get to play with a couple of them,” he said.
Ultimately aiming for confidence and impactful performance on ice this season within such an experienced lineup: “For me it’s to bring the best hockey I can… make things happen.”
