Flint Firebirds Excited for Prospect Matthew Mania

Acquired from the Sudbury Wolves this summer, LA Kings prospect Matthew Mania is eager to get going with the Flint Firebirds.

Drafted in the fifth round (15oth overall) by the LA Kings in 2023, defenseman Matthew Mania is more than just a cool name. The native of Brandon, FL, has spent the past three seasons with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. This season, however, he will be suiting up for his new club: the Flint Firebirds.

I recently spoke with Firebirds’ head scout Mike Oliverio. He filled me in on what led to the club acquiring Mania.

“We were looking at adding some maturity to our right side and of the players available we felt Matthew checked many of our boxes,” Oliverio said. “The most appealing was his ability to play any style of game with the high hockey IQ that he possesses. He can play in either a high skill/fast pace run and gun or a physical grind you down style game.

With training camps kicking off this week, there is a palpable sense of excitement for all 20 OHL teams. While the London Knights – with LA Kings prospects Kaleb Lawrence and Jared Woolley – look to defend their title, the other 19 teams vie to reach the top. For the Firebirds, they hope to get closer to their end goal with their newest acquisition.

Frankly, it’s hard to blame the club for feeling excited for Mania.

“We see a top-four defenseman who will play a major role in our specialty team situations,” explained Oliverio. “Whether it is on the PP or PK, he will be counted on to be one of our go-to guys on the back-end. But, while providing the leadership and mentorship to some of our younger players. With his maturity, he will bring stability not just to our defense core, but to the entire group. He has the ability to settle things down when things get a little ‘anxious’ for our younger players.”

The Firebirds’ head scout can’t help but feel excited as Matthew Mania, in turn, is excited to begin his tenure in Flint.

“I personally have not spoken to Matthew, but I know our coaches have stayed in contact with him over the offseason,” Oliverio noted. “They have maintained communication throughout the team’s expectations and fitness monitoring. He has stated he is excited about getting started and was a little surprised at how detailed our staff has been with regards to video work.”

Head coach Paul Flache even echoes the eagerness of working with his new defenseman.

“Our coaches have been in contact with Matthew,” he said. “[They’ve] seen him play at the world junior summer showcase and have done some video calls with him. We are excited to begin working with him [this] week.”

Last season, the Firebirds eked into the playoffs with a 30-33-5 mark. However, their postseason visit was short as the eventual champion London Knights swept them in four-straight.

But with a new season comes new hope. The Flint Firebirds certainly eye a playoff return and, hopefully with Matthew Mania in tow, a longer stay. Mania, after all, is a physical, two-way defenseman who possesses a knack for manipulating opponents into better scoring options. That is not something to take lightly.

Mania and the Firebirds begin the regular season on Sept. 27 with a home-and-home series against the aforementioned Knights.