NHL Mourns Death of 1960s Red Wing

Left wing Andre Pronovost won the NHL Stanley Cup in his first four seasons with the Montreal Canadiens (1957-1960).

But it was the teary-eyed reaction Pronovost showed after his grandson Anthony Mantha scored his first NHL goal (a game-winner) for the Detroit Red Wings in 2016 that is being recalled today after the announcement that Pronovost died at age 90.

“Being a French-Canadian, your idol is Maurice Richard,” Mantha told DHN’s Bob Duff several years ago. “He’s probably one of the best players that played hockey. That my grandpa played with him, you know, it’s something he’d tell me stories about.”

Mantha carries fond memories of his grandfather’s buddies stopping by his grandfather’s house to see him. Those buddies were Richard, Dickie Moore, Jean Beliveau and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.

Mantha scored his first goal for the Red Wings against the Canadiens. His grandfather played for both of those teams, plus the Boston Bruins and Minnesota North Stars (eight games in 1967-68). The Canadiens had traded Pronovost to the Bruins for Jean-Guy Gendron on Nov. 27, 1960 and the Bruins moved him to Detroit for Forbes Kennedy on Dec. 3.

Pronovost scored 94 goals, including 16 for the Canadiens in 1957-58, in 556 NHL games.

Unquestionably, Mantha learned the romance of the game from his grandfather who would join his family for pond hockey.

“I would live probably a two-minute walking distance from a nice
little pond (in Quebec),” Mantha said. “We would bring our net and stay on there for hours.”

Mantha, now with the New Jersey Devils, is not the only Pronovost grandchild in pro hockey. Mantha’s sister Elizabeth is among the AHL’s first female referees.

Pronovost had advice for Mantha as he grew into the game.

“When I was younger, he brought me to the rink, brought me skating,” Mantha said. “From around the age of 8-9 to 15-16, he told me to just have fun. Those are the years that you need to have fun.

“Once I started playing junior, he was more talking to me about what I needed to do, “