The Edmonton Oilers were relatively quiet as NHL free-agency kicked of on Tuesday (July 1), making just a pair of organizational depth signings, inking defenceman Riley Stillman and goaltender Matt Tomkins to respective two-year two-way contracts.
But late Tuesday night, the Oilers finally made a significant addition, signing veteran forward Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year deal worth $7.2 million.
🍞✍️‼️
The #Oilers have signed forward Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.6 million. pic.twitter.com/z2ZycYsFxZ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) July 2, 2025
Mangiapane and Oilers fans don’t have the greatest relationship. That’s because the left winger spent several years on the other side of the Battle of Alberta, wearing the red and yellow Calgary Flames from 2017-18 to 2023-24 before being traded to the Washington Capitals prior to last season.
Now that he’s going to be wearing blue and orange, Tuesday’s signing marks a fresh start for Mangiapane and all those who used to boo him. Of course, every relationship is a two-way street: Mangiapane took the first step by putting pen to paper, now Oilers fans can do their part by getting to know the 29-year-old native of Bolton, Ont., a bit better:
He Likes Playing at Rogers Place
Besides the two rinks he’s called home, Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome and Washington’s Capital One Arena, the venues that Mangiapane has scored the most goals at are Rogers Arena in Vancouver and Edmonton’s Rogers Place.
In 14 regular season games at the home of the Oilers, Mangiapane has scored six times, including the winning goal in a 4-3 victory for the Flames on Oct. 15, 2022. He has also recorded four assists, registered a plus/minus of plus-4, and averaged two shots per game at Rogers Place in his regular season career.
Mangiapane’s career average of 0.43 goals per game at Rogers Place is nearly double his rate of 0.24 goals per game in all other venues combined.
He’s a Team Canada Hero
Mangiapane was named MVP of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Latvia, after leading Canada to gold at the annual tournament.
Team Canada was off to a disastrous 0-3 start when Mangiapane joined the team midway through the preliminary round in Riga. From that point on, Canada didn’t lose in regulation, going 3-0-1 in its last four preliminary games, before beating ROC in the quarterfinal round, the United States in the semi-finals, and Finland in the championship game.
In seven games with Team Canada, Mangiapane scored seven times, including an incredible four game-winners, and added four assists for 11 points. He recorded a plus/minus rating of plus-6.
He’s Got Chemistry with Current Oilers
For most of his time at the 2021 World Championship, Mangiapane played on a line with two names that are very well-known in Northern Alberta: right wing Connor Brown and centre Adam Henrique.
Brown spent the last two seasons in Edmonton before signing a four-year deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. Henrique has been with the Oilers since being acquired via trade on March 6, 2024, and is under contract through the 2025-26 season.
While the Oilers won’t be able to reunite that trio that was so effective in Riga four years ago, there is a good chance that Mangiapane and Henrique will spend a lot of time together this season.
Additionally, during his Calgary tenure, Mangiapane was teammates with current Edmonton defencemen Brett Kulak and Troy Stecher.
He Honours Late NHL Star
The hockey world was rocked last August by news that Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau were killed while biking when they were hit by a suspected drunk driver. While the tragedy shook everyone in the NHL family, it was particularly devastating for Mangiapane.
Mangiapane and Johnny became very close friends during their many years playing together in Calgary. When Mangiapane got married, the late NHL All-Star was one of his best men.
Mangiapane served as a pallbearer at Johnny’s funeral. Last season in Washington, Mangiapane paid tribute to Johnny by writing “JG13” with a drawing of a heart on his stick tape.
He’s Nicknamed “The Bread Man”
Everyone knows New York Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin as “The Bread Man”. But that’s also the nickname of Mangiapane, who actually might have a more legit claim to the moniker: translated from Italian, Mangiapane literally means ‘Eat Bread’.
The “Bread Man” nickname caught on in Calgary, where a fan threw a loaf of bread on the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome prior to a game in 2021 (from ‘Flames forwards Mangiapane and Dube go together like bread and butter,’ The Calgary Sun, 10/19/21).
Will the “Bread Man” handle follow the former Flame to his new Northern Alberta home? We’ll see how Edmonton fans take to Mangiapane before long, with the 2025 NHL Preseason less than three months away.
