Paul Manning (born April 15, 1979) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He played eight National Hockey League (NHL) games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2002âÂÂ03 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 2001 to 2012, was mainly spent with the Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was selected by the Calgary Flames in the 3rd round (62nd overall) of the 1998 NHL entry draft.
Manning was also drafted by New York Yankees with the 619th pick in the 1997 Major League Baseball draft.
After playing four seasons of college hockey for Colorado College, Calgary traded Manning's NHL rights to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2001 fifth-round draft pick. He was recalled midway through his second pro season and made his NHL debut on January 4, 2003. After playing eight games, Columbus signed veteran defenseman Darren Van Impe and returned Manning to the AHL.
After the 2002âÂÂ03 season, Manning was a restricted free agent but opted to continue his career in Germany, signing with the Hamburg Freezers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He played seven seasons for Hamburg before moving on to the Hannover Scorpions for the final two seasons of his playing career.
Manning played for the Canadian national team at the Deutschland Cup in 2010.