John Mitchell, Mike Davies Sign AHL Contracts

Two seniors off of last seasons Wisconsin Frozen Four squad will continue their hockey careers at the next level. Michael Davies and John Mitchell have secured pro contracts for the upcoming season.

According to the St. Louis Jr. Blues website, Davies (pictured), has signed with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League, the stepping stone league to the NHL. The Wolves are an affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Davies, a St. Louis native finished his four year career with the Badgers with 123 career points. His 52 points during his senior season placed him second on the Badgers in scoring and earned him third team All-WCHA honors.

Mitchell, a 6-5 forward from Neenah will also be playing in the AHL next season. Mitchell has signed with the Syracuse Crunch according to the teams official website. The Crunch are the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

A player who started off as a bit of a project, Mitchell got better and better every season with the Badgers. He finished his career with 61 points and came up big for the Badgers in big spots. In the regional final this past season, Mitchell's two goals against St. Cloud propelled the Badgers in to the Frozen Four. Mitchell also collected a goal in the Frozen Four semi-final vs RIT.

Mitchell and Davies join *Ryan McDonagh, *Brendan Smith, Blake Geoffrion, *Derek Stepan, and *Cody Goloubef as members off of last seasons Frozen Four team who have signing pro contracts this off-season.

*Denotes underclassmen

Davies Photo courtesy of Melody Hasse

By the way, here is the classic Johnny Mitchell mustache pic. Sorry John, it's just too good not to re-post. You've lost that lovin' feeling, now it's gone...gone...gone...woooooah.

Big John Mitchell has a Big Heart

I saw this posted over on Hockey in Wiscosnin today and thought it needed attention here as well. Big John Mitchell has been volunteering his time w/ Special Olympics not in hockey, but in basketball. Nice work John, these are the kind of stories I like to read!

From HIW:

By Christina Harris, Special Olympics of Wisconsin
Special Contribution to WisSports.net

College hockey fans across the state watched with frenzied excitement as left winger John Mitchell netted two goals against St. Cloud State on March 27, 2010, securing the Wisconsin Badgers 5-3 win and their spot at the NCAA Frozen Four playoffs. But few sports fans witnessed the bright smile that appeared on Special Olympics athlete, Raimond Holschuh’s face when Mitchell appeared to support his basketball team the next day.

The 23-year-old left his ice skates at home Sunday evening, laced up his sneakers, and headed over to Blessed Sacrament Gym to shoot hoops with the West Madison Special Olympics basketball team. As the 6’ 5” hockey player strode into the gym, he towered over an entourage of athletes who eagerly greeted him with high fives and hugs. After relaying the highlights of the game with them, he threw on a green basketball jersey and helped the athletes warm up for their long-awaited scrimmage against the Dane County Deputy Sheriffs.

Mitchell, a Rehabilitation Psychology major from Neenah, Wisconsin, began interning at Special Olympics Wisconsin in the fall of 2009. For the past four months, Mitchell has helped Agency Manager, Lydena Goossens coach two Special Olympics basketball teams— the “Hot Shots” and “Green Phoenix”—each week.

“Many of our athletes love Badger athletics and to have an athlete from one of the sports teams’ volunteering with us is great!” exclaimed Goossens. “Whether it’s to say hello or to talk about a recent game, the athletes enjoy the interaction. John is excited to tell the athletes about his experiences on the ice, and this has helped him create personal relationships with [them].”

“It’s been great [having him volunteer]…we both play hockey,” said Holschuh, who has played hockey for the past ten years. “He taught me how to dangle the puck to maneuver around people. John’s my role model.”

According to Mitchell, he gets something very valuable in return for his coaching-a reminder on the value of sportsmanship. “I’m teaching them nothing except for the skills that they will use in their sport. They are the ones teaching me,” Mitchell responded humbly. “They make me realize that hockey is just a sport and should always be enjoyed. When you get to a certain level in athletics, it becomes a business. Some individuals forget it’s just a game that’s meant to be fun.”

Mitchell, a natural-born athlete who picked up his first hockey stick in elementary school, can relate to the athletes’ youthful passion for sports. But, what resonates most with him is the athletes’ desire to rise above the expectations of others.

“[Hockey] became my passion the first time I scored a goal. I have been addicted ever since,” he said, his eyes full of compassion. “People telling me that…I wasn’t good enough to play at the college level fueled my drive to get here.”

Between juggling practices, games, volunteering, and school, Mitchell has a jam-packed schedule. But, the athletes’ sense of camaraderie motivated him to squeeze in volunteer time, even after his internship ended.

“The enthusiasm these athletes bring to practice every week puts a smile on my face, no matter how bad of a day I’m having,” he said.

Mitchell was in high spirits after scoring a goal just over a minute into the Frozen Four game on Thursday night against RIT. But the winning streak came to an end during the final championship game when they lost 5-0 to Boston College. After playing hockey for the University of Wisconsin, Mitchell will trade his Badger’s hockey stick for a diploma when he graduates in May, but according to him, it doesn’t end there.

“My dream was to play hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers, so I gave that a shot,” said Mitchell. “Now that I’ve made it this far, professional hockey has become my new dream job.”

Wherever his talent takes him, Mitchell says helping athletes like Holschuh realize their dreams and discover their untapped potential will remain an integral part of his life.

“I do it because I enjoy giving my time back,” he said. “A lot of people put their time in for me to get where I’ve gotten to, so the least I can do is give some of my time back for them.”

No, boys. There's two "O"s in Goose.

Thursday Morning Links

Wisconsin senior captain Blake Geiffrion (pictured, far left) has been named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week.

Geoffrion had a four point game on Friday night in a Badger victory figuring into all four Wisconsin goals with three assists and a goal of his own. On Saturday night he helped Wisconsin finish off the sweep with two goals and an assist in the 8-4 victory.

Geoffrion currently leads the WCHA in scoring with 32 points in 21 games for the Badgers.

Another important item of note, the captain currently sits with 99 career points. It's a great honor to score 100 points in your college career. Wisconsin senior forward Michael Davies passed the 100 point mark a few weeks ago.
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Hockey In Wisconsin blogger D-Playa had a few thoughts on who he thinks can possibly win some upset games in the WIAA Hockey State Playoffs tomorrow and Friday. The tournament opened on Tuesday.

I like his Hudson pick. They have one of the most talented forwards in the state with Ryan Dau and sometimes that's all you need to carry you come playoff time. They also beat New Richmond once this season. Hard to win in New Richmond's barn though.
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Speaking of the Wisconsin high school tournament, make sure you go over to Wisconsin Prep hockey and check out the previews they have for every team in the tournament.

It's amazing the coverage that they will have throughout the tournament so make sure you make frequent stops over there. During the state tournament they do free web-radio of all the games.
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In Andy Baggot's weekly "5 good minutes" piece, he features Badger senior forward John Mitchell. It's one of the funnier ones that I've read talking about the 2006 National Championship season and having a "stomach issue" during his first practice as a Badger.

Mitchell had a rather disappointing start to his senior campaign but I was very impressed with him this past weekend. He had some really nice passes but I was more impressed wit his puck poise. He really showed some confidence this weekend and I think he's starting to get back into his grove. He'll could be a huge addition if he can start putting up points on the board from that third line.


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09/10 Men's Previews: #24 John Mitchell

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Senior
Shoots Left
Height: Tall
Weight: 224
Hometown: Neenah, WI
Major: Sociology
Previous Team: Indiana Ice (USHL) in 05

NHL Considerations: Had interest last summer, didn’t hear much this summer, but he has NHL size, and you can’t teach that.

08/09 Stats: 40 games, 15-11-16, +6, 118 PIM
07/08 Stats: 40 games, 8-5-13, +4, 49 PIM

09/10 Role: 2nd line, PP

08/09 Recap: John continued his progression as a hockey player last season, tying for the team lead in goals, and doubling most of his stats from the previous season. He was productive on offense at EV and on the 2nd PP unit, but also led the team in PIM. It’s still amazing how far he has come during the past few seasons.

Biggest Strength: John has a knack to be in the right place at the right time, which led to a lot of goals last season. His size makes him a factor as well.

Biggest Weakness: His decision making still has room for improvement. While his goal and assist totals increased, so did his PIM. He was booted from several games for checking from behind. Sometimes its an accident, but when it happens w/ regularity (among other foolish penalties) that is an issue.

09/10 Thoughts: Not sure what to think of John for the coming season. There were several times last season, sitting next to 60 on a Friday night, when John would make a colossal blunder, and I’d then miss the goal he’d score making up for his blunder because I was ranting about the blunder. As I said above, he really needs to work on decision making, his skating is vastly improved, and he has a nice scoring touch, while he’s a good in his own zone as well. Offensively I’d be surprised to see him improve a ton more, but he certainly has some other parts of his game to refine in his final season, to impress NHL scouts on the way to a contract. He’ll definitely be part of the offense, where, well only Eaves can answer that, and he’ll change his mind (w/ the forward lines) often.

All in all, it has certainly been fun to watch John for the past several seasons, and watch him improve almost from game to game.

Prediction: 34 games, 12-10-22*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Men's Player Previews: #24 John MItchell

Vitals:

Position: Forward
Year in School: Junior
Shoots Left
Height: 6-5
Weight: 222
Hometown: Neenah, WI
Previous Team: Indiana (USHL) in 05/06

NHL Considerations: John received interest from a few teams in the off season to sign as a free agent. He attended the Minnesota Wild prospect camp over the summer.

07/08 Stats: 40 games, 8-5-13, +4, 49 PIM
06/07 Stats: 18 games, 1-2-3, E, 21 PIM

08/09 Role: Grind Line, PP

07/08 Recap: John was by far the most improved player on the team last season, and was voted so by the team following the season. He went from a awkward looking forward lost on the ice, to an important part of the "grind line" and scorer for the Badgers. You can't teach size, the one thing John definately has, but he definately make huge progress learning the things the coaching taught him. John's best highlight was the out of no where breakaway speed he showed against Denver in the regional when he used his long strides to pull away and score on Mannino. One season a part time player, the next season he is receiving interest from NHL franchises.

08/09 Thoughts: Where can John take his game this season? I'm still hoping Eaves leaves the "grind line" of Mitchell/Dolan/Grotting together. Depsite their obvious ability to play as a checking/disruption line, I think they can notch more goals this season too. Leading the way in that effort could be Big John. John needs to use his body a little more too this season. One article labeled his as a wrecking ball, while I haven't seen that yet, I would like to.

Prediction: 34 games, 10-4-14

Photo from uwbadgers.com

INCH's A to Z: John Mitchell

Well, it's just INCH, but their preseason A to Z profiles are better than nothing. This year, they've picked the intriguing John Mitchell.

Mitchell struggled his first season with the Badgers, but he showed great improvement his sophomore season. Standing 6-5, it's not surprising that he has a really long reach, yet I'm always impressed by just how long his reach is. And as INCH mentions, he has a timely scoring touch. INCH also mentions that Mitchell has added 20 lbs to his frame since his arrival in Madison and hopes to add another 10 lbs. Here's hoping that, with the additional weight, Mitchell starts to use his size a bit more on the ice.

Mitchell's size and improved play last season garnered him some interest from NHL teams. He participated in the Wild's Prospects Camp, and a crazy reporter called him a big-framed wrecking ball.

Season Preview: Juniors

Last week, I previewed the senior class of the Men’s Hockey team, now it’s on to the juniors. With the changing landscape of College Hockey, having a large junior class is a huge bonus for any program looking to compete for a National Championship. With the best players leaving after their freshman and sophomore years, upperclassmen are at a premium. Wisconsin is fortunate to have 8 juniors suiting up in 08/09.

Of the 8 juniors, 7 of those young men are forwards, including Aaron Bendickson, Andy Bohmbach, Ben Grotting, John Mitchell, Blake Geoffrion, Michael Davies and Tom Bardis. I’m not actually sure if Bardis is considered a junior or a sophomore. Since he transferred and sat out a year, I’m not sure if that counted against his eligibility or not, but regardless I’m counting him as a junior for this discussion. Zach Bearson was part of this class until the recent announcement that he is no longer part of the team. The sole upperclassman blue liner is Jamie McBain.

Of all the offseason news, McBain’s return to Wisconsin was the biggest. As last season ended, I felt that if McB returned to Wisconsin’s lineup for 08/09 that the Badgers would be legitimate contenders for large trophies come next March/April. As an individual player, he is that important. Had McB left to join the Carolina Hurricanes organization, the Badgers would have been left w/ a huge lack of experience at defensemen. As it stands, McB is the only upperclassman on the blue line, and while not a captain, his leadership and experience will hold sway throughout the season.

McB was part of Wisconsin’s best pairing last season w/ Ryan McDonagh. Despite their youth, they gave the team the most consistent performance every night, shift to shift. Assuming that pairing remains the same to start this season, Wisconsin will arguably have the best pairing in all of College Hockey. For those who attended the Regional, McB’s play was nothing short of spectacular, especially on the PP, and when that carries over to this season, he will be a force to be reckoned w/.

As important as McB’s play will be to Wisconsin’s success this season, the large group of junior forwards is the first of two keys to Wisconsin’s 7th National Championship. Of the 7 returning players, 5 played in almost every game last season including Geoffrion, Davies, Bendickson, Grotting and Mitchell. When Josh Engel returned to the blue line, Bohmbach filled in the last forward spot during most of the 2nd half. Bardis practiced with the team all season, but sat out due to his transfer from St. Lawrence.

Geoffrion highlights this group. He made leaps and bounds during his sophomore season. On top of high expectations for this season, Geoffrion will serve as Co-Captain w/ Ben Street. Similar to McB, Geoffrion’s return to Madison was not set in stone due to his status as a Nashville Predators draft pick in 2006, but fans are happy to have him back. Goeffrion plays on the PP and PK, can score goals, work in the corner for the puck, and knock someone on their ass. Despite the departure of line mate Kyle Turris, Geoffrion’s point production should continue to rise, as he makes more things happen himself.

The most improved player on the team in 07/08 was Mitchell. Along w/ Grotting, they formed two-thirds of the most consistent line (centered by Sean Dolan) the Badgers had last season. Mitchell showed some scoring touch and due to his improvement and size, even had a few NHL teams calling on him. More will be expected of Mitchell this season, though I hope the coaching staff does not break up that line, since they worked together well and should be able to carry a little more of a scoring role this season.

Another player who definitely needs to step up his game in 08/09 is Davies. He is slowly developing into a consistent two way player, though his play in his own end is sometimes suspect. There is no doubt that Davies can score goals and should be a fixture on the PP this season. How much additional scoring burden can Davies fill? Will Davies take his game to the next level? A lot of questions surround Davies, and hopefully Coach Eaves doesn’t have to banish him to street clothes for a night to motivate him this season.

Grotting and Bendickson played in every game a year ago, and I expect that to continue this season. While Grotting isn’t going to provide Wisconsin w/ a lot of offense, he is an energy player who gets his job done. If he plays w/ Mitchell and Dolan again this season, that trio should continue to do good things that don’t show up on the score sheet, but often impact the outcome of the contest. Bendickson on the other hand is a player who I think is ready to make a dent in the offensive production of the Badgers. I first noticed Bendickson’s play during the second half of 06/07. He hustled every shift and that continued during 07/08. Bendy spent most of 07/08 on the 4th line, which limited his scoring chances, and he was a solid contributor on the PK. Somehow, someway, Bendy will take his game to another level this season.

Rounding out the junior forwards are Andy Bohmbach and Tom Bardis. W/ the strong incoming group of freshman forwards, both will likely be fighting for playing time this season. I don’t really know enough about Bardis to comment further, but what I saw from Bohmbach during late 07/08 impressed me. If he continues that this season he should see a lot of ice time. Similar to Grotting, he is not a scorer, but provides a “checking” line player who does some of the hard work that makes a team succeed.

I think in any class of players this big there are going to be surprises. For instance last season, as a sophomore Mitchell’s improvement was a huge surprise. As freshman, the play of Dolan and Patrick Johnson were not what I was expecting from them, they far exceeded it. How will it be this season? As I stated earlier, the play of the junior forwards is the first key to Wisconsin’s success this season. The Badgers lacked upperclassmen scoring from the forward position last season, w/ the exception of Street. These young men have been through 2 WCHA seasons, they know what to expect. While the sophomores and freshmen will contribute, if the junior class doesn’t show the way and put some goals up on the scoreboard, it could be another long season on offense.

Next week the attention turns to the veterans of one WCHA season, the sophomores. The other key to Wisconsin’s season will be discussed as this classes group of highly touted defensemen move into the spotlight.

A big framed wrecking ball?

I have a fun little quote, and I removed the player's name so that I could ask you who you think this quote is regarding.

If you have had the opportunity to watch any of the Badgers’ games this year you would know this player is a big framed wrecking ball on the ice who loves to throw his body around to punish opponents. The Wild could use some grit as well as an element of nastiness to its prospect pool. He is another tryout who will garner some long looks by the team’s management.

Any guesses?

Of course, if you've been following the Wild's prospects camp, you know that John Mitchell is there. And yes, Mitchell is big-framed. But I don't think he's a wrecking ball who loves to throw his body around to punish opponents, nor do I think he provides an element of nastiness. In fact, I think he could use his body a bit more than he does.

Don't get me wrong; I'm a John Mitchell fan. I love how hard he works, I love his long reach, and I love how he elevated his game last year over the year before. And I'm looking forward to watching him play again this year. But I think the above quote misrepresents who John Mitchell is as a player. And it makes me want to ask the author, "Did YOU have the opportunity to watch any Badger games last year."

Props (again) to DPlaya for finding this article.

Mitchell invited to Wild Prospect Camp

I've been meaning to put together info on the various NHL Prospect Development Camps, but haven't had the time.

I figured it was worth mentioning though that "Big" John Mitchell has been invited to the Minnesota Wild's camp, along w/ 2008 recruit Chris Hickey.

Pretty cool to see "Big" John getting some NHL attention. He made huge strides this past season. If he makes similar strides next season, it could very well be his last in the Cardinal and White. It was rumored he was drawing attention from a few NHL teams to sign as an undrafted free agent, but Coach Eaves and "Big" John both agreed another season at UW was in his best interest.