Chicago Blackhawks prospect and current Denver Pioneer Ian Mitchell took a pass on the USHL and WHL with his education in mind
The road to professional hockey is unique to every young player. Some have been on a track of attending the best amateur hockey schools all of their lives and others become late bloomers who develop somewhere along the line. Regardless of who you are or where you came from, the road is difficult and taxing on these young men and their families.
Ian Mitchell is a defenseman for the University of Denver Pioneers and his road too is unique. Ian is from Calahoo Alberta, population 197. Hockey is in his blood. His uncle, Roy Mitchell, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1989 and played pro hockey for 12 seasons. His father, Bill, also played and coached Ian and his brother Sean growing up in Calahoo.
As teenagers, some hockey players choose to leave home to pursue their careers in junior leagues across North America. Mitchell was drafted to the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League and the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey league. Ultimately, Mitchell decided to play his bantam hockey with the Spruce Grove Saints, just 30 minutes from his home in Calahoo.
Because of the opportunity to continue his education and play hockey for a prestigious program like the University of Denver, Mitchell decided to go the college route and hasn’t looked back. With eight points in ten games, he’s thriving on the top-ranked college hockey team in the country. And to top it off, he was drafted to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2nd round of the 2017 NHL Draft.
Ian Mitchell leads NCAA freshmen with 7 power play points #DU1NATION pic.twitter.com/hXtbiSSeTt
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) November 12, 2017
The-Rink had the opportunity to speak with Ian’s father Bill to talk hockey, family, and also get the scouting report on Ian’s younger brother Sean.
Interview with Bill Mitchell
What’s it like being a hockey dad and watching your son Ian be so successful at a young age?
Bill Mitchell: Because my brother and I grew up playing the game, it was just natural that my kids followed in our footsteps. It’s pretty special in a sense that I’ve been able to teach them both skating. I was their power-skating instructor for many years so I’ve taught them that. It’s been fun following them through their whole process as they go.
What’s it like being the coaches son, Sean? More pressure or less pressure?
Sean Mitchell: Maybe a bit of both. If you do well you’re rewarded, but if you mess up you have to come to the bench and try not to make eye contact. Just get in line (laughs).
Montgomery on Ian Mitchell:
“He’s a coaches dream. He’s prepared every day and he wants to get better. He has a great compete level”
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) October 26, 2017
What was it like coaching Ian?
Bill Mitchell: Where we were in the little town of Calahoo, there’s about 200 people that live there. I ended up going out there so we moved there. There weren’t a lot of coaches and the team had only 24 kids. It was also hard having so much diversity on the team. There were some kids that could hardly skate where Ian was and it was tough to get them progression. A lot of kids nowadays are going to these specialty schools. Families are paying a lot of money but I’m a firm believer in just getting on the ice and getting your skills developed. When you’re young, get your feet, get your hands, and get your head up. So yeah it’s paid off. Both of these guys are pretty good at that, they’re smart players.
Talk about how passionate hockey fans are in Spruce Grove.
Bill Mitchell: Well that team in that area is a Junior-A team that has had a lot of success the last 15 years. We support the team. It’s quite a bit different than coming to a college game. They’ll get maybe 800-900 fans max per game, but there’s a lot of different hockey there. You can watch high-end Bantam, high-end Midget, Junior Tier-1, the University Golden Bears, and the Oilers. There’s a lot of hockey to watch.
What are your thoughts on the Edmonton Oilers and their recent slump?
It just hasn’t come together yet. They’re having a tough time. I think it’s going to start to show. They won the last two games so hopefully it picks up. That’s been our favorite team.
How did it feel the minute Ian was drafted and knowing the Mitchell name might be sewn on an original six jersey?
Well, it’s pretty exciting. It’s funny because throughout the year, Darrell May (Blackhawks Scout) was always at Ian’s games. He was always going to him after games and telling him, “You’re a Blackhawk.” I had a pretty good feeling. We knew he wasn’t going to be a first-rounder. In all honestly, I think it was better to go below that because the eye isn’t on you all the time. And it gives you an opportunity to develop. But we were watching that number 57 spot and we thought OK. But when the Blackhawks took Henri Jokiharju, we thought because he’s a right-handed puck-moving defenseman what are the chances they’re going to take Ian? But when it happened it was pretty special. Ian jumped sky high, he was so excited to go to that team.
How hard was it for you watching Ian go off to college?
Bill Mitchell: We actually had a unique situation. He was drafted by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL so he went down there and checked it out. But with his academic prowess with school, we thought we should wait and see what happens. We got lucky because Spruce Grove is 20 minutes from our house. It’s been tough on all of us as a family because we’re very tight, but it was better than him moving at 16 to go to Brandon. We like to come down to Denver as much as we can, but it’s not cheap to fly.
Lastly, give us the scouting report on Ian’s younger brother Sean Mitchell.
Bill Mitchell: He’s a heads-up hockey player. He skates very well. He needs to get more bulk and strength but when it comes to play-making he’s very good. You might see him down the road, he’s got to keep working at it.
You can follow Ian and Bill on Twitter at @IanMitch15 and @Bill_Mitchell10