Ken Mantin of Halifax became the secretary of Halifax’s minor hockey association when he was just seventeen years old. That position was the beginning of Mantin’s almost 50 years of involvement with Nova Scotian and Canadian sport.

In 1967, after holding positions with several sport governing bodies in the province, Mantin joined the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). He rose to the office of development coordinator of the CAHA, regulating and promoting 500,000 players on 25,000 teams. He served as the CAHA representative to the Canadian Amateur Sport Federation, Canadian Coaches Association, Canadian Olympic Association, and the CAHA-NHL joint negotiating committee.

In 1971, he became the first executive director of Sport Nova Scotia an office he maintained for over ten years. He also became president of the Nova Scotia Hockey Association and was the driving force of the organization’s action plan- battling on-ice violence. In 1988, the CAHA recognized Mantin’s efforts and presented him with the meritorious award, acknowledging his contribution to the development of hockey at all levels.