Rangers trolled after Victor Mancini wins AHL championship following trade to Canucks
It’s apparently a thing these days for former members of the New York Rangers to troll their old team after winning a championship. It happened again after ex-Rangers defenseman Victor Mancini helped Abbotsford win the AHL’s Calder Cup championship on Monday night.
There was a photo of Mancini posted on Instagram celebrating postgame after Abbotsford’s 3-2 win in Game 6 against Charlotte, with the caption “Thank you @nyrangers.” That was a direct reference to the Rangers trading him to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the package to acquire J.T. Miller on Jan. 31. Abbotsford is Vancouver’s AHL affiliate.
This was right out of the Brad Marchand trolling playbook. After the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers on June 17 to win their second straight Stanley Cup championship, Marchand posted a photo of former Rangers defenseman Niko Mikkola at a celebratory team meal, with a similar snarky “Thank you” message. Mikkola briefly played for the Rangers after he was acquired ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, signed with the Panthers as a free agent that summer, and has won consecutive titles in South Florida.
Mancini finished sixth among all AHL defensemen with eight points (three goals, five assists) during the Calder Cup Playoffs. He was third among Abbotsford defensemen behind Christian Wolanin and Kirill Kudryavtsev, who each had 10 points.
The 23-year-old had a three-game point streak (two goals, one assist) earlier in the playoffs against Colorado and a two-point outing (one goal, one assist) in Game 4 of the conference final against Texas. Mancini had his only point of the Calder Cup Final with an assist during Abbotsford’s 6-1 win in Game 3.
Mancini was on ice for each of Charlotte’s goals Monday when the Checkers grabbed a 2-0 first-period lead. Former Rangers forward Sammy Blais scored for Abbotsford late in the first period to cut the deficit in half, and the Canucks scored twice in the second period to close out the scoring and the series.
Blais, who helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019, became the 133rd player to win a championship in both the NHL and AHL. He was the third-leading scorer in the AHL postseason with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists).
Former Rangers center Manny Malhotra became the first rookie coach to win the Calder Cup since Jeff Blashill of Grand Rapids in 2013. There was one more Rangers connection, with former Blueshirts forward Philip Di Giuseppe finishing with six goals and 11 points in the playoffs for Abbotsford.
Related: NHL insider fuels trade rumors, states Rangers coach ‘not huge fan of K’Andre Miller’s game’
AHL championship caps wild rookie year for former Rangers defenseman Victor Mancini
No matter what happens during the rest of his professional hockey career, Mancini will surely remember his busy rookie season. It began when the University of Nebraska-Omaha product shocked many by making the Rangers’ opening-night roster after Ryan Lindgren was injured, and then remained in the lineup ahead of Zac Jones for a while.
That season-opening stretch was highlighted by Mancini’s first NHL goal on Oct. 17 against the Detroit Red Wings. That it happened in Detroit was extra special for the Michigan native, who had a group of family and friends in attendance.
Eventually Mancini landed back in the AHL with Hartford before he was included in the Miller trade. All told, Mancini played for four teams in two leagues during his first pro season.
The big (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) smooth-skating defenseman accounted well for himself. Mancini had five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 games with the Rangers. He played 16 games with Vancouver and had three points (one goal, two assists). Mancini averaged 15:17 of ice time in 31 NHL games. Though he needs work in his own end, the youngster is clearly a legit prospect.
In the minors, Mancini combined for 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 30 games with Hartford and Abbotsford before helping the latter win the Calder Cup.
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