Center is Mittelstadt's natural position, and he confesses he feels more comfortable in the middle of the ice. It's where he played in college in his lone season at the University of Minnesota, but he's the ultimate team player and has been amenable to playing anywhere in the lineup.
"I like making plays in the middle because I feel like I can see both sides of the ice well," Mittelstadt said. "I think maybe you're a little more involved at center at times so if you make a few good plays in a row maybe your confidence gets going a little bit."
Mittelstadt credits Tuch and Skinner for making life easy on him in the middle. But it hasn't always been so simple. He recalls a conversation he had with his dad during his struggles about perseverance. It centered around having the right attitude and being persistent.
Consistency can be king and showing up with the right mindset can go a long way towards fixing something that's amiss.
"I just keep coming to the rink and coming to work every day and working hard, and just try to keep persevering and getting through things," Mittelstadt said. "Keep a good mindset and nice positive attitude and keep the work ethic high, and usually good things come."
Part of that reassurance comes from his coach. Granato is as patient as they come. It comes with a demeanor that is direct and clear, but not overcritical.
"He's constantly reminding you he believes in you and he's got faith in you," Mittelstadt said. "I think you can watch a lot of video and do things like that but I think those statements go a long way and eventually things turned around. I was happy that I got to reward him back."
Mittelstadt felt it was important to show Granato and general manager Kevyn Adams what he and his teammates are capable of.
"I feel a big sense of loyalty to this place and the guys in this room," Mittelstadt said. "Some of these guys, we've had some dark days and to see where we're at now, I think we're all really proud and it makes us all want to stay here and be a part of it."
It took longer than he would have preferred, but the results are starting to show.
"It was big," Mittelstadt said. "I think more than anything, it was nice to do it in games that mattered."