Hockey, Canon-Mac communities rally around high school hockey played injured in house fire
Canon-McMillan High School senior Dominic Mansmann, who was badly burned in a Feb. 25 house fire at his North Strabane Township home, is facing a long recovery. But he and his family won’t have to face it alone.
The hockey and Canon-McMillan communities have rallied to support Mansmann, who remains in the intensive care unit of West Penn Hospital, Pittsburgh, with second and third-degree burns covering 70% of his body.
Mansmann, 18, is a member of Canon-Mac’s hockey team.
“Dominic’s a great kid who, as a coach, makes you enjoy coaching. As a hockey player, he’s always been reliable and hardworking, and he’s a kid who enjoys the game for the love of the game, but that’s secondary to the teammate and person that he is. You’ll have a hard time finding a better teammate,” said Canon-McMillan head coach Justin Selep.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than $58,000 by Sunday afternoon — far exceeding the initial $50,000 goal — to help Mansmann’s family, who has remained by his side, pay for medical bills.
Among the donors was the Pittsburgh Penguins, who contributed $2,000 to the fundraiser.
Southwestern Pennsylvania scholastic hockey teams and clubs, along with several Canon-McMillan High School sports teams and Canonsburg-area businesses and families, have donated tens of thousands of dollars to cover expenses.
During Canon-Mac’s varsity game against Upper St. Clair on Thursday, the USC hockey team held a 50/50 drawing and donated all the proceeds from the $2,000 pot to the Mansmann family.
“It’s incredible to see that this hasn’t just impacted Canon-Mac but also the entire Pittsburgh area community. To really see the number of different programs and people offer their support to Dom’s family, it’s what sports are all about. At the end of the day, sports is about bringing communities together, and it’s really great to see people want to support Dominic through this tough time,” said Selep.
Since Mansmann was injured in the fire, teammates have worn No. 50 decals on their helmets and taped his number onto their hockey sticks.
Wearing Mansmann’s number is a gesture the team wanted to do to show Mansmann they’re thinking about and supporting their fellow Big Mac, even if he wasn’t on the ice.
“Those stickers are just a small thing to do to show him that we all care, that we’re going to be there and support him every step of the way,” said Selep.
Mike Galardini, president of Canon-McMillan Hockey Association, was shocked when he heard about the fire that injured Mansmann. His son, Alex, a Canon-Mac varsity hockey team senior, has been friends with Mansmann for several years.
“Dom is just a fantastic kid, a great kid,” said Galardini. “Everyone has rallied together. The hockey community will do whatever we can to help Dom and his family.”
Mansmann had planned to attend Robert Morris University after graduation.
“Dom has a bright future ahead of him, so it’s really heart-wrenching to see him have to go through this. You never expect these things to happen. They stop you right where you’re standing,” said Selep. “He is a competitor, and he has a lot of fight in him. Our whole organization is here to support him. We want to help him get through this tough time, and then he can do the things he wants to do. It’s really nice to see everyone come together for him to support him, so he knows people care about him and that he has a support system to count on. We’ll be there to support him in a time of need.”