U.S. Olympian Strauss Mann has NHL dreams while excelling for Wichita Thunder hockey
The Wichita Thunder is already seeing the benefits of their new NHL affiliation with the San Jose Sharks.
Strauss Mann, the top goaltender for the United States men’s hockey team in the Beijing Olympics, was recently assigned to Wichita and won his first two starts last week, which earned him ECHL Rookie of the Month honors for October.
Thunder coach Bruce Ramsay has been thrilled with the immediate impact made by Mann, who is the first Olympian in the organization’s history, ahead of Wichita’s 7 p.m. Friday game against the Allen Americans at Intrust Bank Arena.
“Strauss has been nothing but a professional since he’s been here, and he’s played two very good games for us,” Ramsay said. “He understands he needs minutes and needs to get games under his belt and obviously we’re very happy to have him here and we’re going to use him to the best of our abilities while he’s down here.”
Even before the Olympic experience, the 24-year-old prospect turned heads with his standout collegiate career at the University of Michigan, where he was the first goaltender to be named team captain in 78 years during his senior season.
He played the 2021-22 season in Sweden with Skelleftea AIK, where he finished with a 13-9 record in 22 appearances with three shutouts, a .914 save percentage and a 2.19 goals-against average.
Mann believes the experiences have prepared him to continue to rise in his professional career.
“I want to play in the NHL and establish myself as a regular and someone that can play really well and at times dominate,” Mann said. “I really believe in myself, and I always have, especially after last year going to Europe. I know it’s not my long-term goal to be (in Wichita), but there’s a lot to learn, and I’m just trying to enjoy this process and play a lot of games and master my craft. I hope I can take my game to the NHL sooner rather than later, but I understand it’s a process.”
In his ECHL debut for Wichita, Mann turned away 49 shots in the Thunder’s 5-3 win against Tulsa on Oct. 28 and followed that up with 29 saves in a 2-1 victory at Allen on Oct. 30.
Mann has been in goal for both wins early in the season for the Thunder (2-1-1).
“I’ve been so impressed by his composure,” Ramsay said. “He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. We gave up two A-plus scoring chances when we were short-handed against Allen, and he made two huge saves for us.”
Mann said he believes he has improved significantly from the experiences playing on the Olympic stage and last season in Sweden.
“It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and it was crazy to see how many people back home rallied behind myself and the U.S. team,” Mann said. “It was a crazy experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
