Willie Mitchell (ice Hockey)

Willie Mitchell (ice Hockey)

William Reid Mitchell (born April 23, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is known primarily as a physical defensive defenceman. Mitchell played Junior A in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), before joining the college ranks with the Clarkson Golden Knights of ECAC Hockey in 1997. He won an ECAC championship with Clarkson in 1999, while also earning playoff MVP and ECAC First Team All-Star honours. Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, he played two seasons with the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL) while earning limited playing time with the Devils over two seasons. In 2001, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild where he played four seasons before a brief stint with the Dallas Stars. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2006 off-season and was named the team's top defenceman twice, in 2008 and 2009. After four seasons in Vancouver, Mitchell signed with Los Angeles in August 2010. Internationally, he has represented Team Canada once at the 2004 World Championships, capturing a gold medal.