VICTOR MANCINI READY FOR ROOKIE SEASON AFTER TASTE OF PRO HOCKEY
Sep 3, 2024
HARTFORD, CT – The 2023-24 season will always be a memorable one for Victor Mancini. It was a year filled with both ‘goodbyes’ and ‘hellos’ for the defenseman, who transitioned from his collegiate hockey career to the professional ranks.
Mancini helped guide his University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks to the NCAA Tournament, the program’s first appearance since 2021. Following a loss to the University of Minnesota in the NCAA Regionals, Mancini made the decision to turn pro.
Selected by the Rangers in the fifth round, 159th overall, of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Mancini elected to sign his entry-level contract with the club and ink an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
The decision would start Mancini’s professional career, dropping him right into the thick of the Calder Cup Playoff race.
“For the lack of a better word, it was just really fun,” Mancini said about his transition to pro hockey. “Just everything, being here in Hartford, outside and inside the rink, just the experience I had and the friends I got to make through new teammates, playing in front of fun crowds, especially at home, it was a really fun experience for me. It was really nice to get used to pro hockey, especially pro playoff hockey.”
Mancini proved to be a big part of the Wolf Pack’s defense group down the stretch, appearing in seven regular season games for the club. He then skated in ten Calder Cup Playoff games, posting a +5 +/- rating as the Wolf Pack advanced to the Atlantic Division Finals for the second straight season.
That experience gave Mancini a taste of what is to come this fall when he arrives in New York for training camp with the NHL’s Rangers. Before his official rookie season, Mancini experienced what it is like to play professional hockey in key situations and moments.
“It helps with getting used to things,” he said when asked about the experience of dipping his toes in the water of professional hockey. “Knowing what’s going to be expected, not only of this team but of myself, going into next year. Obviously, with the way I play, I want to help out my team as much as possible and just kind of knowing that it’s going to be a grind in playoffs and kind of getting into that tough mindset of just being there for my teammates, knowing that we’re going through this together, and just rolling with the punches and always having a smile on your face.”
The experience also allowed Mancini to see what he needs to focus on heading into his first full season as a pro. It’s a glimpse that can be extremely beneficial for players making the jump from the junior or college ranks.
“I think, first of all, that it’s fast. Moving up through the ranks, each step you take it’s going to get a step faster,” Mancini observed. “I’m just trying to tailor my game to that and adjust as fast as I can. As for next season, obviously just getting in the gym and getting bigger, faster, and stronger to make sure that not only do I have the strength, but I can keep the strength throughout the season playing at this level. Working on my physicality, the parts of my game that I consider my strengths, but also my weaknesses as well.”
With 17 total games of experience under his belt, Mancini will enter the 2024-25 season well-prepared for his rookie campaign.
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ABOUT THE HARTFORD WOLF PACK: The Hartford Wolf Pack has been a premier franchise in the American Hockey League since the team’s inception in 1997. The Wolf Pack are the top player-development affiliate of the NHL's New York Rangers and play at the XL Center. The Wolf Pack has been home to some of the Rangers newest faces including Igor Shesterkin, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren. Follow the Wolf Pack on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.