Former Avs center enjoying family life
John Mitchell played in 548 NHL games, the last 326 with the Avalanche in five seasons ending in 2017. He played two seasons in Germany before returning to Colorado and retiring last summer. He was named to the Denver Post all-decade team (2010-19) in December.
Mitchell, 35, is beginning a youth coaching career with the triple-A Colorado Thunderbirds, who added former longtime
NHLer David Clarkson to the mix a year ago. Clarkson and Mitchell both grew up in Ontario, Canada, and will coach the T-Birds’ 16-under team next season.
Q: How far back do you go with David Clarkson and is coaching a hobby or a career move for you?
Mitchell: I played against Clarkie basically every season from 16 until I was 32 when I was done playing hockey, whether it was junior or the NHL. He knew I was here, in the Denver area, and one day I got a hold of him and told him I was interested in helping him out a little bit. He was like, ‘Man, I’m so glad you called me.’ So it was quick and pretty seamless. I don’t know if this is a career thing. I’ve never done it. I’m (also) the skills coach for the T-Birds, so I’ll be dealing with the young kids all the way up to the 18-year-olds.
Q: Who among the current Avs do you stay in touch the most?
Mitchell: Probably (Gabe) Landeskog. We have a little group chat.
Q: What does a typical day in the Mitchell household look like these days?
Mitchell: My daughter (Gracyn) is 8 and in third grade, so she does school online. It’s a matter of keeping her on-time, onschedule because obviously 8year-olds’ time management lacks sometimes. So I make sure she’s on the ball. She has a little brother (Oliver) who is 2 ½ years old and always flying all over the place. I have to make sure he’s occupied and not bugging his sister. We go on plenty of bike rides and trying to find new things to do.
Q: What’s the family’s latest new entertainment?
Mitchell: We found iMovie on the iPad where you can make your own trailer for a movie. Gracyn took a bunch of videos so now I’m helping her cut up videos to make a movie trailer. It’s actually pretty fun and entertaining and they’re having a ball with it.
Q: From major-junior to the pros, you played 17 years in North America with all your teeth. What happened in Germany?
Mitchell:
It was just in practice. I wish it was something cooler, like in a game or whatever, but (losing three teeth) happened in probably the third practice of the year. Some young German defenseman — I don’t know what he was doing — he stepped right up on me when I was trying to go around him. The crown of his helmet went straight into my front teeth. Knocked two of them out and another was dangling by a thread.
Q: Do you blame that accident on stupidity from the young guy?
Mitchell: Young defenseman that really isn’t sure about what he’s doing. I mean, c’mon man. I was, what, 33 years old at the time? Leave me alone, it’s practice. Don’t step up on me.
Q: You’ve got a flipper with three fake teeth. I heard you can get a free permanent replacement from the insurance with your German team. When is that going to happen?
Mitchell:
Sooner rather than later, for sure. It’s just a matter of weighing my options, whether I should go to Germany and do it because they’ll cover it, or buck up and do it here. Trying to figure that one out.
Q: Future plans for you and family when life returns to normal?
Mitchell:
I’ll get with the TBirds right away. Hopefully, the rinks open up and we can get on the ice with four players at a time, a small group of players who can get together. Once we get to normalcy, I’ll be helping these kids with skill development
— and that’s not just strictly stick-handling. I want to teach these kids situational, positional things, using your body to protect the puck the right way.
Q: You’re also coaching private lessons outside T-Birds families, correct?
Mitchell:
Yes, I’m willing to do one-on-one lessons with kids in the Denver area. Best way to get hold of me is my email on the TBirds’ website (jmitch.079 @gmail.com).