Red Wings rookie forward Anthony Mantha is one of the more talented prospects in the NHL. He was called up from AHL Grand Rapids to provide some spark to the Wings in their playoff chase as they’ve lost their grip on a playoff spot with the Flyers charging from behind.
When any player scores their first NHL goal, it’s a moment worth crying over. Apparently for Mantha that was also true for his granddad, who is a special hockey player in his own right.
His grandfather is Andre Pronovost, who won the Stanley Cup four times and also played for the Red Wings. To make the story even cooler, Mantha scored his first goal against the Canadiens, the team his grandpa won the Stanley Cup with and the team Mantha idolized as a boy.
Cue the waterworks.
The only thing better than your first career goal?
Scoring it in front of grandpa.https://t.co/PafWq4nFky
— NHL (@NHL) March 25, 2016
That goal was the fourth on the night for Detroit and it turned out to be the game winner. Regardless of the outcome, it doesn’t change how cool the night was for Mantha.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Mantha said. “I didn’t think it was going to be the game-winner at first. We had to battle hard through that third period and ended up winning the game, so it’s huge.”
And it was an important win too as now the Wings are only one point behind Boston for third place in the Atlantic Division. Plus, it made grandpa cry.
[For the Win/Detroit Free Press]
