Playing Style
Mitchell plays in the style of a stay-at-home defenceman. While with the Canucks, he established himself as the their top shutdown defenceman, being matched up against opposing teams' best players and spending a lot of time on the penalty kill. He had usually formed a defensive pairing on the Canucks with the often offensive-minded Kevin Bieksa. Bieksa has credited Mitchell with teaching him to be more aware of game situations before jumping into the rush.
In order to defend effectively, Mitchell opts to use a longer-than-usual hockey stick. Prior to a game against the Calgary Flames on February 17, 2009, opposing head coach Mike Keenan accused Mitchell of playing with an illegal hockey stick. Mitchell responded by asserting he uses the league maximum length at 63 inches.
Mitchell is also known for his leadership qualities, serving as an alternate captain on the Canucks. During his tenure with the Wild, he was named captain once for the months of December 2005 and January 2006 as part of the Wild's rotating captaincy system.
Read more about this topic: Willie Mitchell (ice Hockey)
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