Rookie Fearless

Rookie fearless

Greg Harder, Leader-Post
Published: Friday, February 29, 2008

The term 'kamikaze' was derived from the suicide attacks of Japanese military airplanes during Second World War.

The modern definition should feature a picture of Regina Pats rookie Garrett Mitchell, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound package of dynamite who hurls his body into opponents like a guided missile -- with no regard for personal safety.

"I guess you could call me nuts," offered the Pats' human wrecking ball. "When you look up and a guy measures a foot taller and outweighs you by 40, 50 pounds, you just dig into the ice and try to throw yourself at him.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Call him crazy, or just plain fearless. Either way, he isn't about to change.

"I go in (for the hit) thinking they're going to fall and if they don't, just move on," shrugged Mitchell, who wakes up each morning with a few more aches and pains than a normal 16-year-old. "I've always been physical, that's a big part of my game. You get sore, but it's worth it in the end. If it helps the team, I'm going to do it. You can take care of injuries afterwards."

Mitchell sounds conspicuously like another Regina product who made it to the WHL -- and later the NHL -- through sheer determination. It's no coincidence that Mitchell patterns his game after that player: Former Pats captain Garth Murray.

"I look at my work ethic as one of the stronger points of my game," explained Mitchell, a second-round pick in the 2006 bantam draft. "Sometimes things aren't going to go your way but if you keep working at it things are going to come. Garth is a guy I look up to and follow in the NHL. He has made it (to the top) in his hockey career and I'm just starting out so for me to look up to him (and the way he plays), that's a big part of my game."

If you're still not sold on the comparison, get this: Mitchell and Murray even have the same initials.

"I guess G.M. is a hard-working name," he added with a laugh. "When kids ask: 'What do you do (to make it in the WHL) I tell them, 'Hard work always beats talent.' You see guys in the NHL who aren't the most-talented guys, but they come to work every day and battle for their team. That's what it comes down to."

Mitchell is cut from the same cloth.

"Every time he comes to the rink he brings his best and works his tail off, whether it's practices or games," offered Pats head coach Curtis Hunt, who calls Mitchell a "very coachable kid" who never makes mistakes from a lack of effort. "When you see kids with passion, those are the kids you want to coach because that's the one area that's tough to teach. He makes us smile because that (passion) is what keeps getting him back on the ice."

Mitchell has quietly found his niche this season as a checking-line, energy player who also chips in offensively, posting eight goal and 12 points with 62 penalty minutes in 55 games. He's also the only 16-year-old on the team -- and one of the few in the league -- who's a daily fixture in the lineup.

Mitchell has missed just 10 games this season, five of which came while he was serving as a captain for Team Western at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

"At the start (of this season) it was kind of overwhelming, especially playing in your hometown, but now I've started to relax and feel comfortable," said Mitchell. "It's a good feeling to play all the games. As a 16-year-old I would have never thought that (would happen). There are times when Huntsy says, 'Just sit back and watch and see what the older guys do and take note of that,' but you can't take any offence. As a young guy you have to keep working and your time is going to come."

If you ask Hunt, Mitchell's time isn't far away.

"He's gong to be a leader on our team at some point in time and he's going to be in all those key situations," added the head coach, whose team plays host to the Chilliwack Bruins tonight. "Mitchy is exactly where we thought he would be. He's on the verge of 10 goals as a 16-year-old, which is outstanding, and there's lots of hockey to play. I think he's going to be a key factor for us ... as we move forward into the playoffs."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008