Perhaps it was the shock of sticking with the Avalanche, perhaps it was a hankering for baked ham and cheese sandwiches, but when Paul Stastny hopped from the University of Denver to the NHL this season, he didn’t leave his friends behind. Instead, he continues to room with former teammates Peter Mannino and Patrick Mullen. Recently, Mannino, a junior goaltender from Farmington Hills, Mich., and Mullen, a sophomore forward from Pittsburgh and the son of hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen, chatted about their home sweet home.
Anthony Cotton: So, I guess I’m making an assumption, but do you guys ever have to buy dinner?
Peter Mannino: Paul hasn’t changed at all; it’s still the same with him. He doesn’t go around flashing his money or buying stuff. We’re on our own – we all do our own thing. He’s still the same person he was last year.
AC: So he’s not big-timing you at all?
Mannino: Absolutely not.
Patrick Mullen: When we go to the grocery store, he may pay a little extra here and there – buy us some candy bars, or something like that.
Mannino: Maybe a magazine …
Mullen: Everything else is split, pretty much.
Mannino: We split three ways, that’s how we’ve always done it. The year before it was halved and when Mullie moved in, it was three ways. We’re all in it together, so to speak.
AC: A typical night at home is what?
Mannino: A lot of TV – the NHL hockey package.
Mullen: We just hang out, probably like they did last year.
Mannino: We’re huge “24” fans; “Prison Break … ”
Mullen: “The War at Home … ”
Mannino: The big thing was getting a DVR, so we tape a lot and then catch up later.
AC: I would have thought it might be a little hockey intensive. Or are you trying to get away from it?
Mannino: It’s not really, though. When there’s a game on, we’ll flip through it every now and then – we really just look for shootouts. Mullie will be online, and he’ll go, “It’s 2-2. Flip back to the game.” We’re so busy with our different schedules during the day. At night is when we like to sit down and watch TV and hang out together.
AC: So are the two of you puppies at the feet of the big NHL player, or are you nonchalant about it?
Mannino: He’s our little puppy, if anything. We run the show because he’s gone all the time. No, we’re really all the same, the same age, the same common interests. We’re just normal, our hockey aside. We just hang out, cook dinner together, maybe make chicken Parmesan. It’s like Paul isn’t even in the NHL, it’s like he’s still in college.
Mullen: He’s still watching the NHL with us, looking up college stats with us, asking how everyone’s doing on the team. Are we making chicken Parmesan tonight?
Mannino: Yeah.
AC: The idea of a pro hockey life isn’t new for you though, is it? What are your memories of Dad playing?
Mullen: I remember the Stanley Cup championships in Pittsburgh …
Mannino: We watch the Penguins every night!
Mullen: I remember his 500th goal real well. I was sitting in the basement by myself. It happened and I kind of started going nuts and went upstairs to tell my Mom.
AC: She wasn’t watching?
Mullen: She was, but she didn’t realize that he’d scored. It was kind of like a tip-in in front of the net. I knew right away it was him by his reaction, so I ran upstairs and started partying with her.
AC: He was the first American-born player to score 500 goals; would he say that was his biggest accomplishment?
Mullen: Sure, that and the Stanley Cups and creating a path for other Americans to play, especially given the environment he grew up in. He was pretty poor, so it kind of shows kids who may be underprivileged what can happen if you work hard.
AC: Do your brothers Ryan (24) and Mike (23) play?
Mullen: They used to; they still kind of play. One is in Division III. He used to play at UMass …
Mannino: I played against his brother.
Mullen: The other one plays club at Robert Morris.
AC: I thought they were older guys; 23, 24 …
Mullen: They’ve been in college for a little while …
Mannino: We don’t want to go there …
Mullen: I think they’re on the “Van Wilder” six- or seven-year plan.
AC: Does your sister (15-year-old Erin) play?
Mullen: No. … She’s a cheerleader. (frowns)
AC: How can that be?
Mullen: She was just the little princess growing up; she didn’t get too rough with us.
Mannino: My sister plays. My Dad didn’t play a lick of hockey, but my sister loves it. She plays in a league with guys in Michigan. She always calls me with the scores. It’s awesome.
AC: How old is she?
Mannino: She’s … I don’t want to get this wrong – she’s 26. She just loves hockey; she’s a forward, a center. She goes out there with her boyfriend and gets all the guys on the other teams mad at her. Then I get mad because I don’t want her getting hurt doing it.
AC: Her boyfriend is there.
Mannino: But he can’t skate very well. She was a figure skater who transitioned over to hockey.
AC: So she was a princess, too?
Mannino: She was a princess …
Mullen: So there may be hope for mine, then.
AC: What else do I need to know, on or off the ice?
Mannino: Mullen doesn’t cook very well, except he makes good baked ham and cheese sandwiches …
Mullen: And I introduced us to buffalo ranch dip.
Mannino: He did do that.
AC: Is Paul just astounded that he’s playing in the NHL?
Mannino: I think we get more excited than he does. I go, “You’re playing against Marty Turco tonight!” And he just laughs – or goes back to sleep or something.
Mullen: We’re running to him (after games), asking, “What happened, what happened?” And he’s like, “What are you guys talking about?”
Mannino: We do leave little good luck cards for Paul; maybe on the door …
Mullen: They’re stupid cards …
Mannino: “Score on J.S. Giguere tonight!” – stuff like that. We hung streamers up one time with the note, “Go get ’em!” He just laughs; by now he knows that they’re coming.
Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
