Manson played junior hockey with his hometown Prince Albert Raiders in the Western Hockey League. He was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and joined the team a year later. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs. He retired in 2002 with 390 points and 2792 penalty minutes in 1103 career NHL games.