Biography of Sylvio Mantha -

Sylvio Mantha (April 14, 1902 - died August 7,
1974) was a was a Canadian professional ice hockey
player in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Born in Montreal, Quebec, he was a three-time
Stanley Cup winner, he played 14 NHL seasons, from
1923-24 NHL season|1923 to 1936-37 NHL
season|1937, with all but four games as a Montreal
Canadiens player. He was Captain (hockey)|captain
for Montreal from 1926-27 NHL season|1926 to
1931-32 NHL season|1932 and from 1933-34 NHL
season|1933 to 1935-36 NHL season|1936. 

Mantha started as a Winger (hockey)|right-winger
for the Notre Dame de Grace Juniors in 1918-19
season, before playing for Verdun in the
Intermediate Mount Royal Hockey League, Montreal
Imperial Tobacco, and Montreal Norther Electric in
the Montreal industrial league. He played briefly
for the Montreal Nationales in the Quebec league.
After scoring four goals in nine games with the
Nationales, he was signed by the Montreal
Canadiens. The Canadiens started Mantha as a
forward, then moved him to right Defenceman
(hockey)|defence, because veterans Sprague
Cleghorn and Billy Coutu were aging.

When Cleghorn was traded just before the 1925-26
NHL season, Mantha gained a more prominent role.
He scored the first-ever goal in the Boston
Gardens on November 20, 1928-29 NHL season|1928,
leading the Canadiens to a 1-0 win over the Boston
Bruins. Mantha was named to the NHL Second
All-Star Team in both the 1929-30 NHL
season|1929-30 and 1930-31 NHL season|1930-31
seasons. 

In the 1935-36 NHL season, Mantha became the
Canadiens' player coach. After a dismal season,
the Canadiens fired him. The Boston Bruins were
involved in a contract dispute with Eddie Shore,
so they signed Mantha at the start of the 1936-37
NHL season -- and gave him Shore's number 2
jersey. Four games into the season, Mantha
admitted he could no longer play at a competitive
level and retired.

Mantha then worked as a linesman and referee for
the AHL and NHL. He then tried coaching the junior
league Montreal Concordias, Laval Nationales (1943
to 1945), Verdun Maple Leafs (1945 to 1947), and
St. Jerome Eagles (1947 to 1948).

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in
1960, and passed away in Montreal, in August of
1974.

The Georges & Sylvio Mantha Arenas are part of the
Complexe RÃ©crÃ©atif Gadbois in Montreal and named
named for him and his brother who also played in
the National Hockey League.

==See also==
*List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players

==External links==
*
http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHocke
y/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p196002&page=statsawar
ds&list=Career Career Statistics
*http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?
pid=3378 Mantha's career statistics at
hockeyDB.com

start box
succession box | before = Billy Coutu | title =
Montreal Canadiens#Team captains|Montreal
Canadiens captains| years = 1926-1932 (first time)
| after = George Hainsworth
succession box | before = George Hainsworth |
title = Montreal Canadiens#Team captains|Montreal
Canadiens captains| years = 1933-1936 
 (second
time) | after = Albert Babe Siebert
end box

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Biography of Sylvio Mantha -