Former Giants stalwart goes from UBC to Europe to AHL
Brendan Gallagher and the Rockford IceHogs have something in common. They both think that Neil Manning has the tools for North American pro hockey.
Gallagher and Manning are buddies from their days with the Vancouver Giants. Gallagher joined the Montreal Canadiens six seasons ago and the fiery, fearless rightwinger has routinely talked up the talents of Manning since then.
Manning, a thinking-man’s defenceman, spent four seasons with the UBC Thunderbirds and then the past two campaigns playing in Italy. Earlier this month he signed a one-year deal with the IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.
“I played junior with him and I spent a lot of time around him and I understand what makes him a special player,” Gallagher, 26, explained just before hitting the links for the Giants’ annual season-opening golf tournament at Tsawwassen Springs earlier this week. “Like all of us, there are strengths and weaknesses to his game, but, to me, he’s always done a good job of playing to those strengths.
“He was always a good teammate in Vancouver and, if you talked to the younger guys we played with, he helped guys out as much as anyone. You’re glad to see him get an opportunity.”
The WHL head office might be as big a Manning fan as Gallagher is. Manning has a story that the league likes to promote.
He has played more regularseason games in Giants colours than anyone, his 310 appearances leaving him 15 ahead of runner-up Craig Cunningham. That WHL scholarship program paid for Manning ’s four years at the University of B.C., where the Nanaimo native completed a bachelor of commerce degree, with a specialization in finance.
He will play for coach Jeremy Colliton with the IceHogs. Colliton, 33, played in the WHL with the Prince Albert Raiders.
“Not being a Chicago Blackhawks signed guy, I’m maybe going to need a couple of bounces to go my way,” Manning, 27, said. “If I play how I can play, I’ll be fine. This gives me a chance to progress my hockey career. Italy was a great life experience. Italy was not advancing my hockey. North American is the best chance to do that.”
Manning is a five-foot-11, 185-pound, left-handed shot. He’s not a speedster, and not a bruiser, but he always seems to be in position on offence and defence. You could see him being the kind of guy that a coach will grow to trust quickly.
He had a 17-goal season for the Giants in 2009-10, and a 15-goal campaign in 2010-11. He was plus40 for his regular-season career with Vancouver.
In two seasons in Italy, he had 11 goals and 56 points in 78 regularseason games.
“Sometimes it takes a while to get your opportunity,” Gallagher said.
“When you get it, you have to capitalize. Neil’s a guy who has kept working at it. He’s a smart player. He has that hockey sense. To me, it’s a skill that you can’t really teach. It’s an asset of his. It can carry him a long way.”