With just 100 days until the Michigan hockey team’s first puck drop of the 2025-2026 season, the Wolverines are working towards filling their last remaining spots on their roster. On Wednesday, Michigan picked up another CHL player as it inches closer to the beginning of the season.
The Wolverines earned a commitment from Matthew Mania who will be taking a spot on the blueline for Michigan. Mania announced via Instagram on Wednesday that he would be making the move to collegiate hockey.
Mania spent the last season just down the road from Ann Arbor playing for the Flint Firebirds in the OHL, while also having played a few years of youth hockey in the state. For Flint, he notched 46 points on the year with eight goals and 38 assists in the top pair. Prior to his time with the Firebirds, he played three seasons for the Sudbury Wolves where he collected 79 points.
Last season, the Wolverines were thin on the defensive side of the game. Due to injuries and a player leaving the program during the season, there were times where forwards were being moved to the position. It also left veteran former defensemen Ethan Edwards and Jacob Truscott garnering over 20 to 30 minutes of ice time regularly. Michigan coach Brandon Naurato continues to add to his defensive unit with Mania alongside the other defensemen he picked up in the offseason.
The Los Angeles Kings drafted Mania in the 2023 NHL Draft, but left him unsigned this past year. Now as an unrestricted free agent heading into this season, Mania will have the stage of college hockey to make an impression — both for himself and the Wolverines.
Related articles
