For Mitchell, Bruins Provide Familiar Surroundings

BOSTON – Ian Mitchell did not take much time to think.

When he arrived at the airport following his visit to the University of Denver, the blue liner turned to his father and told him that “without a doubt” he wanted to be a Pioneer.

One of the biggest reasons why he felt so passionately? Jim Montgomery.

“[He told me] that it's going to be the best time of your life and we're here to win national championships at Denver and that it's a family,” Mitchell recalled. “And that really resonated with me…[we were] so impressed with the program and with the coaches there.

“And ultimately Monty was one of the biggest reasons why I did go to Denver. I can't say enough great things about him.”

Now, some six years after he arrived on Denver’s campus, Mitchell and Montgomery are together again with the Black & Gold.

“It really did,” Mitchell said when asked if the conversation with Montgomery after his arrival from Chicago via trade over the summer sounded similar to his recruiting pitch.

“He just expressed his belief in me and that he was a big reason why [the Bruins] tried to get me. So, I just couldn't have been more thrilled for this new opportunity for myself.”

The 24-year-old was acquired by the Bruins, along with fellow blue liner Alec Regula, just ahead of June’s NHL Draft as part of the trade that sent Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to the Blackhawks.

“I honestly couldn't have been more thrilled,” said Mitchell.  “To come be with Monty again and with a team that was so successful last year to try to learn from the established D-corps here was something I'm really excited about…honestly, just knowing that there's someone behind the bench that knows my game and is comfortable with me, it definitely gives me some confidence every time I hop on the ice.”

Mitchell, who spent three seasons at Denver though just one with Montgomery, was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft. The blue liner went on to make his NHL debut in 2020-21 and played 82 games for Chicago over the last three seasons with 16 points (4 goals, 12 assists).

He is coming off a season in which he tallied eight points (goal, seven assists) in 35 games for Chicago, while suiting up for just five games for AHL Rockford after playing 57 games with the IceHogs in 2021-22.

“Definitely didn't, necessarily, go as I had hoped personally going in,” said the 6-foot, 192-pound right shot. “I had some high expectations, I guess, that didn't necessarily get met so I'm just excited for a fresh start here with a new organization that's had a lot of success. I'm trying to come in and help any way I can.”

Mitchell added that not much has changed when it comes to Montgomery’s approach and that the feedback from Boston’s bench boss “has been positive.”

“So far, it seems like kind of the same Monty,” said Mitchell. “He's cracking jokes and keeping things loose around the room. But when you hit the ice, it's all business. And he has a high expectation for what's going to happen on the ice.”

“Telling me to play aggressively on my toes offensively and defensively. That's something that Monty has always stressed. So just having that comfortability, knowing what the expectation is, has helped me for sure.”

Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco concurred, saying that Mitchell has improved with each exhibition contest he’s played.

“He's had a good camp up to this point, I thought that the first game he played well and the second game he got better as the game went on, too,” said Sacco, who handled media duties on Thursday with Montgomery away from the team following the passing of his mother, Dorothy, earlier this week.

“I thought the second game was a better game for him, he seemed like he was more comfortable. He's a guy that’s good with the puck, he's good at the offensive blue line, he's a smart player, he makes good plays, he makes good leads out there, so he's a good puck moving defenseman that brings some skill.”

Overall, Mitchell has his sights set on remaining with the big club when the regular season opens in just under two weeks.

“I'm just trying to come in and make a good impression,” said Mitchell. “And of course, everyone's goal is to make the team, so that's what I'm focused on. And I think so far, I've had a pretty good camp and just putting my best foot forward every day.”

Wait, There’s More

• First-year pro Mason Lohrei was paired up with Charlie McAvoy during the B’s training camp session on Thursday. “Just to get him some reps with Charlie,” Sacco said of the pairing. “A lot of guys…they're all in an evaluation process, right? I mean, they're being evaluated every practice and every game. But we want to give guys opportunities to play with some more established players in our lineup, and see how they perform, and see how they do defensively in certain situations. Maybe a guy like Mason's not accustomed to playing against some top lines in practice, or whatever the case may be. So, I think that's the thinking behind it.”
• Sacco added that Lohrei did not play 29 minutes on Tuesday night in Buffalo as indicated on the postgame NHL scoresheet. He said the ice times “were off” and that the blue liner likely skated in 25-minute range. “He played a lot…he didn't play 30 minutes,” said Sacco. “I thought, again, as the game grew, he started to develop his game a little bit better, he started to be more confident with what he was doing out there, more assertive in his game, moving the puck quickly, something that will probably keep working with him…the ability to move it, and then support the attack. But overall, I thought that he tried to compete defensively too, he was engaged, he was good with his stick. All the areas that we try to work on with our young D.”
• With the loss of one of the league’s top penalty killers in Patrice Bergeron, as well as the departures of PK staples Connor Clifton and Tomas Nosek, Sacco acknowledged the shorthanded opportunities that have become available. “We lost a very good penalty killer [in Bergeron],” said Sacco. “But yeah, there’s opportunity for guys. And I think what we're looking for on that is, from the forward group, guys that can think quickly on their feet because when you're out there against the five best players from the other team, that puck moves very quick. Within our structure, are they able to grasp it quickly, understand what our concepts are on the PK, and then apply it on the ice when it's game time? So, it's just it's a matter of getting up to speed, getting guys comfortable and what we're doing as far as our structure, and then from there just seeing if they can handle it.”