Mel “The Mangler” Angelstad played in an era where enforcers made their mark on the game in the minors. Known to go toe-to-toe with tough guys, whether playing for the Portland Pirates or Orlando Solar Bears, Mel has legendary YouTube footage of bouts with Darcy Hordichuk, Eric Dandenault, Reid Simpson, Marc Labelle, Phil Crowe and most notably Bob Probert during a pre-season game that he wasn’t going to pass up – every enforcer’s big dream!
Logging two games in the National Hockey League resume with the Washington Capitals during the 2003-2004 NHL season to become the first player to wear #69 in a regular season game, registering two penalty minutes. For Angelstad, the road to the NHL was a long one. He played five Colonial Hockey League seasons in Thunder Bay before becoming an IHL regular and then AHL regular, but he’s one of the most colourful personalities that hockey has ever seen. He’s a minor-league legend who had over 400 penalty minutes on two occasions during his career, and he was over 300 PIM six times in his playing days.
Post playing career, Mel is a Chief Firefighter in Fort McMurray, Alberta. He also made a cameo appearance in the film Goon: Last of the Enforcers.
