'The Goal Is To Win Gold'

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Andrew Mangiapane didn't need a refresher course on the last time he tugged on a Team Canada jersey. 

He didn't need a reminder of the buildup to his debut at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, either.

Because the Flames forward certainly remembers bursting from his hotel room in Riga, Latvia and immediately into the fold on the world's stage almost exactly three years ago.

"The bubble to the rink, from the rink to the bubble," Mangiapane said.

"It was a great group of guys on that team. Obviously, that tournament we didn't start off the way we wanted to, but we were able to come back and figure out our game and were able to win gold. That tournament was definitely one of the highlights of my career. 

"It was a great time."

Probably not so much, that first part of the trip. 

Mangiapane, a late addition to Team Canada's squad, was trapped in his hotel room having to follow quarantine protocols and remain symptom-free before he was allowed to emerge. 

It was a "three or four day" stint of nothing but the same four walls. 

Not an ideal way to start a European vacation.

"It felt long," Mangiapane recalled.

"I just had to stay in the room and they'd come by with a little tray of food you'd have to eat. Definitely an adjustment period that time there. Going outside, you were just happy to get out and smell some fresh air and see some people at that time."

Canada was happy to have him, too.

The Canadian side slumped out of the gate in the tournament, dropping contests to Latvia, Team USA, and Germany, nearly failing to qualify for the quarterfinals in the process. 

Cue Mangiapane, who shot out of a cannon and quickly turned their tides. 

"He was a beast out there," said Andre Tourigny, an assistant coach for Canada then, head coach now, and the bench boss of the currently unnamed Utah franchise relocating from Arizona. 

"His energy, his passion... he was everywhere on the ice. The most important thing was he had composure. I think if you look at that tournament, he made big plays at key moments. The other thing I remember about 'Mange' is the way he carried himself on and off the ice. He brought a lot of confidence to our team. You can see he's not a guy who is afraid of the challenge, not a guy who let the stress get to him. 

"He had pushback and he played really, really hard and he made big plays at key moments."

Canada rallied around Mangiapane's return to play, winning six of seven - including three tight knockout round romps - to nab a gold medal. 

It's why Mangiapane, who had 11 points (7G, 4A) in seven games, came home with a hardware haul that included more than what was just around his neck. The then 25-year-old was named one of Canada's top three players, to the World's all-star team, and the tournament's most valuable player.

"Maybe I was just really excited to get on the ice and get out of my hotel room there," he quipped.

Mangiapane had the Midas touch, to say the least. 

And it gave him one of his finest hockey memories. 

"It's pretty close to being up there," Mangiapane said. "First NHL game, first NHL goal... some playoff games in Calgary were obviously pretty cool with the atmosphere in the rink. 

"You ask me five years ago, 10 years ago, I would never have thought I'd be able to put on that Team Canada jersey and go overseas and win a gold medal. That never kind of crossed my mind. That's why when they asked me again this time, I just wanted to make sure my body was okay. You always want to go to these things. 

"They're so much fun. It's tough to say no when they ask."

Naturally, they've asked again.

After giving his body some rest following the regular season, Mangiapane signed up for another tour with Canada - this time in front of fans in Prague, Czechia.

He couldn't turn down another opportunity.

"It's exciting," Mangiapane said.

"It's always fun. It's a great tournament to be a part of. It's tough, at least for me, to say 'no' to Hockey Canada. I played once before and that was kind of the COVID bubble year in Latvia. It was a great time. But just being able to go outside and see places like this, you don't kind of get that back home. Just an exciting feeling. It's going to be an exciting tournament."

The calendar, naturally, has flipped forward.

But the expectation on Mangiapane being an impact player on a Canadian roster - a lineup that boasts the likes of Connor Bedard, Colton Parayko, Dylan Cozens, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and others - remains the same.

"First of all, he knows he has the trust," Tourigny said. "He knows what I think of him and he knows what I expect of him. He's a good pro. Every time I see him play he's tough to play against because he has that energy, that drive, that passion. I think that'll go a long way here."

It should. 

Mangiapane has come a long way to try to have that same impact. 

And he'll push for the same result. 

"Every time you put on the jersey it just feels right, right?" Mangiapane said. "Anytime you can represent your country and go overseas and have fun and try to win gold, it's always a great opportunity. It's excited. 

"The goal is to win gold.

"Hopefully I can repeat like last time. It was a great experience for me. It was a lot of fun. I was glad I was able to do well there and hopefully I'll be able to do well this time around.

"I can't wait to get started."