Remembering Mani

By Ryan Ohashi
rLethbridge, AB – It took only moments, the sudden shock of realizing the unthinkable, but as the Lethbridge Hurricanes family suffered a great loss this weekend with the passing of Michael Maniago, it should be known that his memory will not be soon forgotten.
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r“Mike was a real pleasant person to be around, he was always positive, a happy-go-lucky easy going guy off the ice and I would think a real good teammate.” said Canes Head Coach Michael Dyck “As easy going as he was off the ice, he had a real competitive spirit to him on the ice and it was evident in some real key games he played for us”
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rManiago first came to the Canes in the 2006-2007 season, brought in to provide support to the young goaltending tandem of Justin Leclerc and Sam Huston. Maniago originally came as the result of a trade with the Kamloops Blazers where he had played back up for nearly two seasons to WHL standout Devan Dubnyk. The situation was still difficult however, as once again Maniago found himself in a battle for the starting goaltender’s spot, but his veteran savvy, positive attitude and maturity gave him all the tools he needed to take over the starting position.
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r“I remember the moment very clearly when he turned our season around in 2006-2007. We were playing Regina at the end of October and were outshot 15-4 in the first period and Mani held us in there we won the game 5-2 and that was the turning point for us in that season.” said Hurricanes GM Roy Stasiuk of the game which ended the Canes eight game losing streak in 06-07 Also, his easy going personally, his favorite saying was ‘Yeah, for sure’ and that was his attitude. He accepted things and he was the ultimate team player in that there were nights you could see that it was eating him up that he wasn’t playing, but he knew it was best for the team to maintain a positive outlook and that wins for the team were more important that wins for him personally.”
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rManiago would then take this momentum into the 2007-2008 season where he battled to claim the starting goaltender’s role out of camp. He would then go on to tally a 25-14-2-3 record as a key part of one of the WHL’s strongest goaltending tandems; with rookie Juha Metsola. Maniago would also tie the Hurricanes’ club record of five shutouts by an individual in a season and along with Metsola’s three; set a new Hurricanes’ club record with a total of eight shutouts on the season. In speaking with Maniago before last year’s playoffs, one could tell from his words that his individual accolades – along with the possibility of a streaking Metsola possibly taking on the starting role in the playoffs, truly paled in comparison to team success. Once again, the humble native of Calgary showed a maturity well beyond his years.
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r“I think the thing that I remember the most was his role change last year from a starter to a backup as we moved through the playoffs and it might have been one of he toughest roles to have because you’re a guy that’s used to having the ball and Juha ended up with the ball so it’s really easy to get down and get negative and quietly he was the consummate teammate” said Dyck “He was very supportive, very excited for the team’s success and at the end of the day he was an integral part of our teams success, without him we don’t get that banner and even though he wasn’t in the spotlight at the end of the year he was as important as anyone.”
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r“I think the success comes from a whole team thing, right from the goaltender to the defenseman to the forwards.” said Maniago during the goaltending change “We’re a team, and whoever is playing, as long as they are playing their best and giving the team a chance to win every game then that’s all you can ask for. You want to do your best for the team first and if you are willing to commit to that, then for sure you are going to have personal success as well.”
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rThough many fans remember the 2008 WHL Playoff run and the stellar play of Metsola, there was another turning point. Another key game in the 2007-2008 season which many outside observers may have missed. It was on October 19th in Brandon, as the Canes carried a 4-7-1-0 record along with a losing streak into their fourth road game in six days. That night, Maniago stole a game for the Hurricanes in a 27 save win over the Wheaties. It was a win the team wasn’t supposed get, a win that would ignite the Canes to an amazing 14 game run without a loss in regulation, propelling the team back into the WHL Eastern Conference hunt.
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r“That game in Brandon really turned things around for us last year, he realized the challenge ahead and on that night he was by far the best player on the ice.” said Dyck “He stole us that game in a tough arena to play in and he got the momentum swung in our direction and he built off of that as much as we did. He played very well in Moose Jaw the night after for a 3-2 shootout win before going into Calgary, who was first place at the time and then shutting them out 4-0 in their own rink.”
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rMani’s memory will live on well beyond this year or the next, the saying goes once a Lethbridge Hurricane always a Lethbridge Hurricane. And you can see his contributions on a daily basis when you see how each of the Hurricanes veterans who were around him last year carry his same attitude, on and off the ice. Perhaps it could best be said in Maniago’s own words, his quote before the 2008 WHL Playoffs and before the amazing run which would see the Canes take home their first Eastern Conference banner in over a decade – truly summed up his optimism and positive attitude perfectly.    
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r“I just want to push, go to the playoffs and go deep deep deep, maybe we can even win a championship here.” said Maniago “I know we all believe we can and that belief is what we need.”
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rAs a hockey player, friend, and individual – Michael Maniago could make you believe.