The Penguins have signed forwards Anthony Mantha and Rafael Harvey-Pinard to one-year contracts as well as defenseman Phil Kemp to a two-year contract, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Mantha’s contract runs through the 2025-26 campaign and carries an average annual value of $2.5 million. Harvey-Pinard’s contract runs through the 2025-26 season and carries an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level, while Kemp’s contract runs through the 2026-27 season and carries an average annual value of $775,000 at the NHL level.
Mantha, 30, is a 10-year veteran who has spent time in the NHL with Calgary, Vegas, Washington and Detroit. In 507 career regular-season games, the 6-foot-5, 234-pound forward has recorded 146 goals, 157 assists and 303 points. He has reached the 20-goal and 40-point plateau three times each, and has hit double digits in goals in seven of his 10 seasons. Mantha’s best season came in 2018-19 when he established career highs with the Red Wings in goals (25), points (48) and power-play goals (7) in 67 games played.
Mantha also has 14 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience where he’s registered six assists.
Mantha was drafted by Detroit in the first round (20th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. Among players in his draft class, only 11 skaters have more goals (146) or power-play goals (33) than him, and his 0.60 points-per-game average ranks 14th.
A native of Longueuil, Quebec, Mantha won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 2019 World Championship, as well as a bronze medal at the 2012 World Under-18 Championship.
Prior to turning pro, Mantha enjoyed a four-year junior hockey career in the QMJHL with the Val-d’Or Foreurs from 2010-14 where he won a QMJHL Championship and was named the CHL Player of the Year in 2014.
Harvey-Pinard, 26, spent the 2024-25 season with the Montreal Canadiens organization. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound forward appeared in one game with the Canadiens and 40 games for their American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket, where he notched 19 points (5G-14A) and was plus-2.
The Saguenay, Quebec native has spent the previous five seasons (2020-25) in the Montreal Canadiens organization. In 84 career NHL games, Harvey-Pinard has recorded 17 goals, 14 assists and 31 points. His best season came in 2022-23 when he set NHL career highs in goals (14) and points (20) in just 34 games. At the AHL level, all with Laval, he’s accumulated 126 points (51G-75A) in 185 regular-season games.
Prior to being drafted by Montreal in the seventh round (201st overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Harvey-Pinard played parts of five seasons of junior hockey (2015-20) with Rouyn-Noranda and Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, winning the QMJHL Championship and Memorial Cup in 2019.
Kemp spent the 2024-25 season with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, playing in 56 games and tallying seven goals, five assists and 12 points. His career-high seven goals ranked third among team defensemen, while his 12 points were the fourth most.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound defenseman has played in parts of five seasons in the AHL with the Condors since 2020-21. In 258 career AHL games, Kemp has recorded 18 goals, 40 assists and 58 points with a plus-38. He has also played in one career NHL game with the Edmonton Oilers in 2024.
Prior to turning professional, Kemp played three seasons at Yale University from 2017-20. In 88 collegiate games, the defenseman recorded nine goals, 18 assists and 27 points. Kemp played two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2015-17, captaining the Under-17 and Under-18 teams.
The Greenwich, Connecticut native won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2017 World Under-18 Championship and a silver medal at the 2019 World Junior Championship.
Kemp was drafted in the seventh round (208th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft by Edmonton.
[article courtesy of nhl.com]
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