Mitch Love
Mitch Love (born June 15, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left-winger, defenceman and current head coach of the Calgary Wranglers of the American Hockey League. Love played the role of both a pest and an enforcer during his hockey career. Averaging 3.4 penalty minutes a game over his entire career and posting a league leading 34 fights during the 2008-09 AHL season.[1]
| Mitch Love | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Love in 2023 | |||
| Born |
June 15, 1984 Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence, Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Lowell Lock Monsters Albany River Rats Lake Erie Monsters Houston Aeros Peoria Rivermen | ||
| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2005–2011 | ||
Career
Undrafted at the major junior level, Love was able to make the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors for a pair of games in the 1999–00 season, before landing a full time role for the 2000–01 season. Later in his junior career he would play for the Swift Current Broncos and Everett Silvertips. Leading the league in penalty minutes and capturing a Broncos record during the 2002–03 season.[2][3]
After going undrafted in the NHL, and aging out of the WHL, Love was signed to an entry level contract by the Colorado Avalanche, and joined their AHL affiliate, the Lowell Lock Monsters for the 2005–06 season.[4] He bounced between AHL teams, spending one year each with the Albany River Rats, Lake Erie Monsters, Houston Aeros, and Peoria Rivermen, transitioning to playing left wing late in his AHL career.[5]
On September 8, 2010, Love was signed as a free agent by the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.[6] of the CHL. After a single season with the Mudbugs, Love announced his retirement from playing to join the Western Hockey League's Everett Silvertips as an assistant coach on August 13, 2011.[7]
After seven seasons as an assistant with the Silvertips, Love was hired as the head coach of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades for the 2018–19 season.[8] After three seasons as head coach in Saskatoon he was hired by the Calgary Flames to be the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Stockton Heat (now the Calgary Wranglers) beginning with the 2021–22 season.[9] Love captured the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the leagues most outstanding coach during his first season with the Heat.[10]
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–00 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 51 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 97 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | 52 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 132 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | ||
| 2002–03 | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | 70 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 327 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | ||
| 2003–04 | Everett Silvertips | WHL | 70 | 12 | 15 | 27 | 163 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 47 | ||
| 2004–05 | Everett Silvertips | WHL | 59 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 142 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 27 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 69 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 184 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Lake Erie Monsters | AHL | 59 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 213 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Johnstown Chiefs | ECHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Houston Aeros | AHL | 63 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 214 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 32 | ||
| 2009–10 | Peoria Rivermen | AHL | 60 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 129 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs | CHL | 43 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 278 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 808 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 32 | ||||
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | SL | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| SAS | 2018–19 | 68 | 45 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 98 | 2nd in East | Lost in round 2 (PA) |
| SAS | 2019–20 | 64 | 34 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 73 | 4th in East | Playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| SAS | 2020–21 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 3rd in East | Playoffs not held |
| SAS Totals | 156 | 95 | 44 | 12 | 4 | 206 | |||
| STK | 2021–22 | 68 | 45 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 97 | 1st in Pacific | Lost in Conference Finals (CHI) |
| WHL Totals | 156 | 95 | 44 | 12 | 4 | 206 | |||
| AHL Totals | 68 | 45 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 97 | |||
References
- Staff Writer. "Mitch Love". Peoria Journal Star. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- "WHL League Leaders 2002-03". Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- "#2 Mitch Love, Defense". Mudbugs Hockey. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- "Avalanche Signs DaSilva, Love". NHL.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- "Peoria Rivermen 2009-10 Regular Season Roster". theahl.com. 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2022-12-03.
- "Mudbugs add longtime AHL D-man Mitch Love". Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. 2010-09-08. Archived from the original on 2010-09-12. Retrieved 2010-12-21.
- "Silvertips complete coaching staff". Western Hockey League. 2011-08-13. Retrieved 2011-08-13.
- "Tough and ready: Mitch Love embraces challenge of coaching the Blades". The StarPhoenix. 30 May 2018.
- "Flames Name Mitch Love as Stockton Heat Head Coach". Stockton Heat. 12 July 2021.
- "Heat's Love wins Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award". theahl.com. Retrieved 2023-01-02.