Edmonton Oilers assistant coach, Dave Manson, is among the many Prince Albert connections in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

PA Rooting Interests

Pick a team: Plenty of PA connections in NHL’s final four

May 31, 2022 | 12:00 PM

And then there were four.

Thirty-two NHL teams vying for the Stanley Cup have been whittled down to the last four contenders for hockey’s ultimate prize, and Prince Albert hockey fans can find a reason to root for any one of them. Each of the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning has their own connection to the city.

Out west, the storyline for many in Prince Albert is the father-son matchup between Dave and Josh Manson. Dave, now an assistant coach with the Oilers, was not only born in Prince Albert but played for and coached the Raiders and Mintos. He played 218 games for the Raiders and coached from 2002-03 to 07-08, then returned to the team as an associate coach for the 2012-13 season, a role he held through to 2017-18.

Josh wasn’t involved with the Raiders as he took the college route to the NHL, but he played much of his minor hockey in Prince Albert, including two seasons with the Mintos. Acquired by the Avalanche prior to the trade deadline, Manson has posted five points in ten playoff games and even did a little bit of goaltending, saving a goal on the penalty kill for the Avs in the deciding sixth game against the St. Louis Blues.

There will be quite a few Rangers fans in Prince Albert as well, as PA product Braden Schneider is with them in the Eastern Conference Final. Though he played his junior hockey in Brandon with the Wheat Kings, Schneider was a long-time member of Prince Albert’s minor hockey circuit. He played both AA and AAA hockey in the city. He was a first-round pick of the Rangers in the 2020 NHL entry draft and has played in all 14 of the Rangers playoff games, posting three assists. Both Rangers series have taken the full seven games to decide.

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The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning have a somewhat looser connection to Prince Albert. While he’s not playing with the team at the moment, the Lightning did sign former Raider Ilya Usov to a three-year entry level contract in March of this year. He played one season with the Raiders in 2019-20, in which he posted 52 points in 58 games.

The Western Conference Final between Edmonton and Colorado begins tonight at 6:00 p.m. Saskatchewan time. The Rangers and Lightning begin their series tomorrow night, also at 6:00 p.m.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP