Top 100 Oilers: No. 93 — Dave Manson

Notable

Like the Trooper song, Manson was in Edmonton for a good time, not a long time. But in his three years in Edmonton, he further solidified himself as a top-pairing defenceman who not only racked up penalty minutes, but also put up points, too. Acquired by Glen Sather alongside a third-round pick, later used to select Kirk Maltby, for Steve Smith in October 1991, Charlie would rack up 33 goals and 108 points in 219 games, a .49 points per game rate he would never come close to with any of the other five teams he played for.

Manson’s 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons were his best in the league, as he put up 92 points in 162 games in those seasons alone. Between pummelling opposing players in the corners or in front of the net, the smooth-skating defenceman was slick on the power play, and endeared himself to the fanbase for both reasons.

The frequency of Manson shedding the mitts would begin to diminish after arriving in Edmonton, but as was described by the commentator on his Dec. 3, 1992, fight with Gerald Diduck, “I think this is good for Dave Manson — he has to do this once in a while just to maintain that respect he has throughout the league.”

Ultimately, with the Oilers fading out of the dynasty years in the early 90s, Slats traded Manson to the Winnipeg Jets in March 1994 for Boris Mironov, Mats Lindgren, and a first-round pick later wasted on Jason Bonsignore.

The Story

Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks 11th overall in 1985, Manson would begin his career there, playing five years before arriving in Edmonton. After the Oilers sent him to Winnipeg, he would follow the team to Phoenix before getting dealt to Montreal later that season. Manson would later have a second stint in Chicago, as well as ones with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, before retiring in 2002.

He’s made a career in the coaching ranks, getting on as an assistant coach with the same Prince Albert Raiders team he played for in the WHL in 2002-03, spending 13 years there and three with a AAA team in town, before he returned to the Oilers organization. He joined Jay Woodcroft’s coaching staff with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors in 2018-19, spending a little over three years before getting the bump up to the Oilers alongside Woody.

After being fired, he spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes and is joining the AHL’s San Diego Gulls this upcoming season in the same role.

What Brownlee said

“Walk softly and carry a big stick,” or so the old saying goes. In the case of former Edmonton Oiler defenseman Dave Manson, it was talk softly and carry a big stick – he didn’t have any choice after being punched in the throat in a fight with Sergio Momesso in 1992, suffering damaged vocal cords.

Manson certainly did that during an NHL career that spanned 1,103 regular season games, including 219 with the Oilers, and mercy, he was a real piece of work. Not only was Manson tough as nails and mean as hell, he was mobile and skilled. He was slick on the power play. He pulverized opponents in the corners and in front of the net. Manson was one of the most feared fighters of his era, earning the nickname “Charlie” along the way. And that raspy whisper…

The Last 10

• No. 100 — Mark Lamb
• No. 99 — Bryan Marchment
• No. 98 — Kent Nilsson
• No. 97 — Dean McAmmond
• No. 96 — Ladislav Smid
• No. 95 — Marty Reasoner
• No. 94 — Jeff Petry