It’s confirmed. Defenseman Victor Mancini will make his NHL debut at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday when the Rangers begin the 2024-25 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins,
Mancini couldn’t hide his excitement after the morning skate and ahead of his first taste of regular-season NHL hockey.
“You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” Mancini said Wednesday morning. “Obviously, this is something you’ve been working for since you were a little kid. Super pumped to be here, but you know this is only the beginning. You want this just to be the beginning.”
Mancini made quite the impression in training camp and preseason, scoring two goals to go along with one assist in four games and showcasing his two-way abilities as a solid defenseman. With Ryan Lindgren sidelined by an upper-body injury, a lineup spot became available, and Mancini made the most of the opportunity.
He beat out veterans Connor Mackey and Ben Harpur, and fourth-year pro Matthew Robertson, among others, to land an opportunity in the Rangers top six.
The rookie defenseman will start on New York’s third pair with Zac Jones, an intriguing young grouping that, by watching their play in the preseason, comes with a ton of offensive upside and puck-moving ability. Mancini is 22 and Jones will be 24 in nine days.
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Victor Mancini ready to share ‘special’ Rangers moment with family
Photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack
Mancini turned pro this past spring after the 2022 fifth-round draft pick finished school at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He appeared in regular-season games down the stretch for Hartford in the American Hockey League, and then dressed in a top-four role in all 10 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Now Mancini will make the jump to the NHL. Though he’s played well to this point, he’ll have to manage his emotions when he suits up with the big club for the opener. He’ll have a lot of family member in attendance, as they’ve made the trip from Michigan to Pittsburgh to watch his NHL debut.
“I’ll be at a little bit of a loss for words, I think,” Mancini explained on Monday. “It’ll be very special to share that with my family as well, whenever that first game might be. It’s going to be really special because I owe a lot to my parents and my family. To share that moment with them will be the most fun part for me.”
He’ll get the chance to share that moment with his family in Pittsburgh, and depending on his performance, could remain in the lineup until Lindgren returns from injury. Chad Ruhwedel is set to serve as New York’s seventh defenseman, but could easily find himself in Mancini’s spot if his first crack at NHL hockey does not go as well as the Rangers hope.
