Anaheim Ducks: Countdown to the Season Opener- Josh Manson

Dropping the Gloves

Josh Manson is well known for his defensive flare out on the ice. However, he is also notorious for not shying away from throwing some pretty good punches. Although Manson is the furthest thing from an aggressive player, he’s been known to drop his gloves a time or two.

It is no secret that the Anaheim Ducks like to play a physical game, and Manson is the biggest physical force out on the ice. During the 2017-18 season, he was involved in a total of four fights. One of his most memorable bouts during the season came out of a brawl that broke out between the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames.

On January 6, 2018, with only 1:05 left in the second period, the Ducks were down 2-0. There has always been plenty of heat between the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary, this game was no different. Anaheim Ducks center, Derek Grant, upended Flames’ goalie Mike Smith as he skated behind the net.

You could practically see the steam coming out of the ears of every player from the opposing team. Within seconds, Grant was being ambushed by vehement players with flaming C’s on their sweater. Gloves were dropped, and an outnumbered Grant didn’t stand a chance. However, that was before Josh Manson stepped in.

Coming to his teammate’s defense, Manson jumped in, breaking away from the pack after Sam Bennett. The brawl stopped, and all eyes were on Manson and Bennett as the two threw punches at one another. Manson was able to get in a few good hits, but I must give props to Bennett. He was able to stand his ground pretty well and put in a good effort.

I consider this to be one of Manson’s best moments, not because he fought, but because he was willing to defend his own.

Even though Grant shouldn’t have tripped Smith, the Flames had an unfair advantage against him. Coming to Grants defense is evidence of Manson’s good and genuine character.