Dave Manson
A fearsome NHL defenseman whose punishing hits and veteran presence defined the '90s enforcer role for multiple franchises.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: January 27·Generation X
Biography
Dave Manson carved out a 16-year NHL career not with flashy goals, but with sheer, intimidating force. Drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks, the Saskatchewan native quickly established a reputation as one of the league's most feared hitters and willing fighters, a classic stay-at-home defenseman in an era that prized them. His physical play made him a valuable asset, leading to stints with seven different teams, including the original Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens. Manson's game had an offensive spark—he once scored 18 goals in a season—but his primary role was to clear the crease and set a tough tone. After retiring, he transitioned seamlessly into coaching, bringing his hard-nosed, detailed understanding of defensive play to the AHL and later as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dave was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dave Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Dave's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played over 1,100 NHL games across 16 seasons for seven different franchises.
- Recorded a career-high 18 goals and 42 points during the 1990-91 season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Served as an alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers during his tenure.
- Led the NHL in penalty minutes during the 1992-93 season with 399 while playing for Edmonton.
- Transitioned to a successful coaching career, serving as an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.
Did You Know?
His son, Josh Manson, is also an NHL defenseman, playing for the Colorado Avalanche.
Manson was known for his extremely heavy slap shot, which teammates nicknamed 'The Bomb.'
He was traded from Chicago to Edmonton in 1991 in a deal that sent Hall of Famer Mark Messier to the Rangers.
Manson once scored a goal from behind his own blue line against the Hartford Whalers.
He played junior hockey for the Prince Albert Raiders, winning the Memorial Cup in 1985.
“My role was simple: make the other team keep their heads up.”
