Mark Mancari set an impressive AHL record last season. The six-foot, three-inch forward used all of his 225 pounds to record a 102.8 mph slapshot during the Skills Competition of the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic, the hardest ever for an AHL player. To put that into perspective, Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins won the NHL competition with a shot registered at 103.1 mph.

"He is a big, strong forward who likes to use his NHL-ready size to create space for his linemates, and cause problems in front of the opposing net. He uses a smooth skating stride for a player of his size, coupled with a very hard slap shot." (Hockeysfuture.com)

Mancari is coming off a very productive 2007-08 season as an alternate captain with the Rochester Americans. He was the only Amerks player to appear in all 80 games and led the team in goals with 21, and total points with 57. The London, Ontario native was rewarded for his efforts with a spot on the Canadian All-Stars for the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic.

During the 2006-07 season, Mancari also recorded 57 points, 23 goals and 34 assists; this time in just 64 games. He made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres on February 22nd and recorded one assist during his three-game stint with the team. The 2005-06 season was Mancari's rookie year with Rochester and he played 71 games with the Amerks, finishing the year with 42 points, 18 goals and 24 assists. He tallied two assists in his professional debut game in October and also registered his first hat trick in April.

Mancari has played both defense and forward during his career, which includes four seasons of junior hockey with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League. In his last season with Ottawa, Mancari tied for ninth in the OHL with 36 goals, in addition to 32 assists in 64 games. He won several awards that year, including the Brian Kilrea Award for community involvement and the Booster Club's award for Best Two-Way Player.


Check back Friday, September 12th for the next prospect profile, Dennis Persson...