When the Maple Leafs drafted John Mitchell in the fifth round, 158th overall in 2003, there was little expectation for him to be an impact player in the NHL.
Mitchell's road to the NHL wasn't as smooth as others. After the Leafs drafted him, he played the following two seasons with the Plymouth Whalers, leading them in scoring both seasons. Once his junior career was finished, Mitchell joined the Marlies to fix or improve upon the weak areas of his game.
He played three seasons with the Marlies, improving his play and his point totals each season. In his last season with the Marlies, Mitchell scored 20 goals and 51 points in 79 games, and he was a key player for them in their 19 playoff games, amassing 12 points. After his stellar play for the Marlies he was finally given a chance to show his stuff with the big club.
When Mitchell first joined the Leafs in the 2008-09 season, he proved himself to be one of the best players in the Leafs lineup.
He was mostly given playing time on the third and fourth lines, but on a less than spectacular Leafs team, he was constantly given opportunities to prove himself. He played on the same line as M ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Neil Grewal
John Mitchell’s Diminishing Role on the Maple Leafs
June 2nd, 2010 by Neil Grewal Leave a reply »
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