The Rochester Americans announced on Tuesday that Moe Mantha has been named the team’s assistant coach. Mantha will work under head coach Randy Cunneyworth and replaces Doug Houda, who was hired by the Boston Bruins earlier this summer.
Mantha, 45, brings 12 years of coaching and 12 years of National Hockey League playing experience to the Amerks bench this season. The job marks his return to the American Hockey League, where he coached for five seasons.
Mantha began his coaching career with the Hershey Bears in 1993-94 as an assistant. He got his first head coaching position with the Columbus Chill of the ECHL (1994-96), leading the team to consecutive postseason appearances.
During the next four seasons Mantha was the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL teams, working with the Baltimore Bandits (1996-97) and the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (1997-2000). While with the Ducks, he also served as an assistant for the 1998 U.S. Men’s National Team at the 1998 IIHF World Championship. Following the 1999-2000 season, Mantha joined USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. He left the national team in 2005 to become the general manager/head coach of the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
The native of Lakewood, Ohio, broke into professional hockey during the 1980-81 season after being selected by the Winnipeg Jets in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. During his career, he played in 656 games and made stops in Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, Minnesota and Philadelphia. He also was a member of three U.S. National Teams that competed in the World Championships (1982, 1985 and 1991). Further, he played for the U.S. at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France.
Mantha also played 21 games over parts of three seasons in the AHL with the Sherbrooke Jets and the Hershey Bears.
Mantha ended his NHL playing career following the 1991-92 season after totaling 370 points (81 goals, 289 assists). During four of his seasons in the NHL, Mantha and Cunneyworth were teammates, playing together with Pittsburgh (1985-89) and Winnipeg (1989-90).
