In a roller-coaster NHL season that's come with plenty of soul-searching, Brandon Manning has been put through the wringer.
2018 was a year of change for the 28-year-old defenceman. After turning in his most productive NHL season and helping the Philadelphia Fyers get into the playoffs, Manning was told by then-Flyers GM Ron Hextall he didn't fit into the Flyers' plans for next season and as a free agent he signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Hawks fell into a five-game slump in November and fired head coach Joel Quenneville and that rocked Manning's world dramatically. Thirty-three-year-old Jeremy Colliton was brought in from the AHL to replace Quenneville and with him came a new philosophy that left Manning the odd man out.
His playing time dropped off and he was watching games from the press box when the Hawks dealt him to the Edmonton Oilers, Dec. 30 along with defence prospect Robin Morell in exchange for forward Drake Caggiula and defenceman Jason Garrison. At the time the deal was made the Oilers were missing three injured regulars on defence - Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom and Kris Russell.
Change has become the new norm in Edmonton, where Ken Hitchcock came out of retirement to replace the fired Todd McLelland as head coach. Then on Jan. 23, the axe fell on Peter Chiarelli, the Oilers' general manager and president of hockey operations.
"It's been a bit of a whirlwind for me," said Manning, who took advantage of the eight-day all-star and league-mandated break to return to his roots in Prince George and take in a Spruce Kings game last weekend at Rolling Mix Concrete Arena, where he spoke to The Citizen.
"Last year with my first new team in Chicago, I think the trade was a lot easier just for doing the relocating and meeting new guys and stuff. But with the GM gone now and things kind of not going as planned I'll kind of wait and see how things are going to shake out.
"I've been through four or five coaches in the last couple years just with the change in Chicago and now the trade. Like most coaches, they just want you to be accountable for what you're doing, not make the same mistakes over and over."
Since the trade Manning has played eight games and has one goal and a minus-four rating. He scored his second goal of the season Jan. 20 in a 7-4 loss to Carolina. The Oilers have a bit of a logjam on defence with nine defenceman on the roster and Manning was a healthy scratch for four games in January. But with Sekera still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and Klefbom doubtful for a game today in Philadelphia because of a hand injury, Manning should draw regular duty this weekend.
"There's some guys with experience and a couple older guys and you just kind of wait for your opportunity," said Manning, who had a goal and two assists and a minus-14 rating in 27 games with Chicago.
"That's been the story of my whole career, whether it was the draft (he went undrafted) or playing four years in the minors, it's something I'm proud of and have to keep working at. Until you're a guy who's a top-four d-man playing every night and playing 20 minutes you've kind of always got to work towards that.
"It's nice to be in the mix now in Edmonton and have a chance to play and kind of prove myself again."
Manning and his Oilers teammate, winger Jujhar Khaira, share the distinction as the only former Prince George Spruce Kings now playing in the NHL. Manning broke in to the BCHL as a 17-year-old and played 58 regular-season games and four playoff games in 2007-08, before moving on to a three-year career in the WHL with the Chilliwack Bruins.
Khaira, a 24-year-old from Surrey, joined the Spruce Kings in 2010 when he was 16 and played two seasons. The Oilers drafted him in the third round in 2012 and he made the jump that year to college hockey at Michigan Tech, where he played one season before returning to junior to play in the WHL for the Everett Silvertips.
"I knew Jujhar played here with RJay Berra, one of the guys I'm still in contact with, and he got an opportunity here with the Spruce Kings and went on a bit of different path through the 'Dub and college and he's a really solid reliable player for us," said Manning. "He's one of the guys I've seen in the league really improve the last couple years and it's pretty cool to share that background with him."
Manning likes playing for a Canadian-based NHL team where everything the team does is put under the microscope and there is the pressure of fan expectations to live up to as the big game in town.
Winning has not come easy for the Oilers this season. They lost three straight heading into the all-star break and dropped into 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference but they're just three points behind Colorado for the second wild-card playoff spot.
"How things are in Edmonton are kind of how I expected it when I first went to Philly - people know who you are, they're always following hockey so they know what's going on and on that side I think it's pretty exciting," he said. "It feels more like home now being in a Canadian city. The weather's the same as Prince George and I don't think since I played for the Spruce Kings I've been in a full winter like this. Everyone has a pretty good knowledge of the game and it's enjoyable being back in Canada and seeing that passion and hopefully we can turn it around for the fans."
Manning still makes his off-season home in Prince George, where his family lives. He and his girlfriend Shea-Marie Glass are having a house built for them in the Aberdeen Glen subdivision. They bought their lot last year, not knowing their next-door neighbour would be Stewart Malgunas. Malgunas and Manning are the only two Prince George-born players to play in the NHL as defencemen. Both played for the Flyers and both wore jersey No. 23.
"It's kind of unique, Stew's a guy who had a big impact on my career," said Manning. "He was my defence coach here (with the Spruce Kings) when I was 17. For me, he was someone who pushed me to go to the Western League and take that step.
"Who knows how things would have worked out if you go the other way (and play college hockey) and I definitely appreciated Stew's advice and how he helped me along. He taught me a lot of things that year."
On the Oilers' current road trip, they'll also play the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. They'll return to Edmonton to host Chicago on Tuesday.
