Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha chose not to re-sign in Pittsburgh after enjoying a career-best season in 2025-26, instead inking a two-year contract to join the divisional rival New Jersey Devils.
So far, Mantha has not lived up to the expectations that came with his deal, coming into Monday’s contest against the visiting Ottawa Senators with zero goals or assists.
And now, he could potentially be facing a steep punishment from the NHL Department of Player Safety thanks to his dirty hit from behind of a Senators defenseman.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins Forward Anthony Mantha Could Face Major NHL Punishment
During Monday’s contest against the visiting Ottawa Senators, former Penguins forward Anthony Mantha drilled Ottawa defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo into the boards from behind, sparking an on-ice melee.
Mantha was slapped with a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, which automatically triggers a review from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Meanwhile, Matinpalo suffered an upper-body injury and departed the game himself.
So far, Mantha has struggled with the Devils, having failed to register a single point through his first four games of the campaign since signing a two-year contract with the club over the summer.
Mantha has yet to be suspended during his NHL career; he did receive a one-game ban in 2019 from the IIHF Disciplinary Panel while playing for Canada during the 2019 IIHF World Championship after a hit to the head of USA forward Colin White.
Anthony Mantha Had A Career-Year With The Penguins In 2025-26
The Penguins rolled the dice on Anthony Mantha after the veteran forward was limited to just a handful of games the previous season because of an ACL tear suffered in October 2024 while with the Calgary Flames.
The gamble paid off, as Mantha put together the most productive campaign of his career, scoring a career-high 33 goals while adding 31 assists to reach 64 points.
Mantha was originally drafted by the Detroit Red Wings, for whom he played until 2021, when he was traded to the Washington Capitals, where he would play for the next several seasons before eventually being flipped to the Vegas Golden Knights.
So far in 592 career NHL games, Mantha has scored 172 goals with 188 assists. He also has seven assists in 20 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Former Penguins Forward Could Face Major NHL Punishment