EP.158 - Mitch Wahl - From Spokane to Europe: 15-Year Pro Journey - Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Winning my draft year is almost picture perfect.
I mean, nothing could have wenta whole lot better that way,
and I was.
I mean we won our last ninegames that season the Western
Conference final, we went togame seven where it's Tri-City,
and we swept the finals, sweptthe Memorial Cup.
So we were playing well and itwas just.

(00:22):
I mean, everything just fellright into place before that
summer.
I got drafted to Calgary, so itwas.
It was awesome, it was a lot offun.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
That was American born player, mitch Wall, former
second rounder and 15 yearprofessional.
And you are listening to the Upmy Hockey with Jason Padolan,

(00:53):
where we deconstruct the NHLjourney, discuss what it takes
to make it and have a few laughsalong the way.
I'm your host, jason Padolan, a31st overall draft pick who
played 41 NHL games but thoughthe was destined for a thousand.
Learn from my story and thoseof my guests.
This is a hockey podcast aboutreaching your potential.

(01:14):
Hey there, welcome to, orwelcome back to, the Up my
Hockey podcast with JasonPodolin.
I am your host, jason Podolin,and you're here for episode 158
with Mitch Wall.
Mitch Wall came on my radar wella few years ago because he's a
Spokane Chief and he's a SpokaneChief that was recognized

(01:37):
within the organization as beingone of the top 35 players in 35
years.
So I had not seen Mitch play.
I didn't know much about him,but I did know his name.
And then just recently, withthe Spokane chief, success in
the playoffs and some buzzaround, uh, buzz around that
group uh, his name came up again.
It was in a.
It was in a Spokane uh tribuneor a spokesman review sorry

(02:00):
article there locally.
Uh, his name came to me from abuddy of mine named Mike
Edgehouse who said you shouldinterview this guy, and anyways,
as the worlds collide, we wereable to connect and I was able
to get into Mitch's history,what he's doing now, his career.
We were able to talk about theChiefs and our mutual

(02:21):
experiences there, both playingfour years for that organization
in somewhat different eras, andI really think you're going to
enjoy this conversation.
Mitch, which I didn't know ofuntil we started talking, was a
California boy, born and raisedthere and played his hockey
there and was drafted in theearly, early first round fourth

(02:45):
overall to Spokane in his WHLdraft year.
So since his time with thedraft, the draft has now been
separated the WHL draft into aUS prospects draft and then the
regular.
You know, let's say, northAmerican draft style.
So they've given the US playersa little more sort of emphasis.
Their own day they have it theday before the regular draft,

(03:06):
but in Mitch's time they held ittogether and he was a fourth
overall selection there, whichis obviously super, super high
up when we're considering theentire Western hemisphere there
of North America.
So awesome job for him.
He ended up coming in andplaying as a 16-year-old and put
up some really good numbers asa 16-year-old and then won the
Memorial Cup in his second year,which was also his draft year

(03:30):
and I guess was a Memorial CupAll-Star was drafted in the
second round to Calgary andreally all signs were pointing
up for him and his junior careercontinued in a great light,
almost scored 100 points in hislast year and was signed by
Calgary.
And then that's when thingskind of derailed for him a
little bit and we talk aboutthat and that's the thing.

(03:51):
It is so tough to haveeverything Well, I shouldn't say
everything, but the majority ofthings go your way to have the
career that you want to have.
And Mitch went from everythinggoing his way, from the
16-year-old solid 16-year-oldyear to the draft year with the
Memorial Cup Championship, toplaying for Team USA at the

(04:14):
World Junior ChampionshipsAlmost, like I said, scoring 100
points in his 19-year-old year,and things were really aligning
for him to have a successfulNHL uh level career.
And then an injury hits and wetalk about the injury and we
talk about the change inownership and direction from the
team and and how things kind ofcan unravel pretty quickly.

(04:35):
Uh, but Mitch obviously lovesthe sport, he loves the game.
He stayed, stayed in the fight,ended up going um, hopping,
hopping the sea, the Atlantic,to uh to play over in in Europe.
And he's played all over inEurope.
He's still playing now and uh,and yeah, it was just an awesome
, really awesome conversation.
I really enjoyed thisconversation with Mitch.
Um, it's nice to hear anAmerican's perspective on on,

(04:57):
you know, on his, his journeyinto the WHL and his time there
in Spokane and, uh, lots of goodlessons from him for being as
successful as he is in his procareer.
It's no joke to play 15 years ofhockey and have someone be
willing to pay you to do that.
So by no means.
Or I should say, mitch has avery respected career that he's

(05:20):
created for himself and kind ofmight be something new for some
of us listeners there to listenabout the options of overseas
and what's available.
I mean, I for one had no ideaeven at 25 when I went over what
it was really all about.
But there is a whole world ofhockey over there, a whole world
of life experiences, and a realnice paycheck too, if you're

(05:41):
ever good enough to make thathappen for yourself.
So definitely something to keepon your radar.
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Now let's get into theconversation with Mitch Wall.
All right, here we are.
Welcome to the program, mitchWall.

Speaker 1 (06:46):
Thanks for having me, guys.

Speaker 2 (06:47):
Hey, really appreciate it.
It's always nice to have aconversation with an ex-Spokane
chief, especially one thatshares, as I'm looking at it
right now, top 35 in 35 years.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
So awesome to see your name up there beside mine
and welcome to the program.
Thank you, yeah, it's an honorto be on that list and happy to
be on it with you.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
Spokane's done such a great jobreally over the years.
I'm not familiar with theprevious ownership group a ton
although I believe that when Igot listed, but back when I was
around they didn't have a draftquite yet.
So you got listed and I think Iwas part of the old regime.
And then uh, because thathappened at 13 years old and
then but the Bretts came in andpurchased it and uh, and it's

(07:30):
just been nothing butprofessionalism, I think, ever,
ever since.
So, um, what, uh, well, actuallymaybe I'll just start with my
scenario.
We'll start with Spokane,because you know, that's where
we both kind of essentiallystarted our our, our own careers
and our own past.
I got to play in the boonestreet barn, so that was
probably nothing that you evenmaybe even saw pictures of, but
boy was that place a riot toplay and it was just crazy.

(07:53):
And then my very last year, theyear that we went to the whl
final, um fortly came,unfortunately came up short, but
we're the number one rankedteam in the chl that year.
That was the year we opened thenew rink, which is now
obviously an old rink, but stilla gorgeous rink there in the in
the WHL.
So that kind of puts puts me inthe timeline for you about when
I played um, and and that wasjust a ton of fun.

(08:14):
Uh, what was?
Uh?
Did you play as a 16 year old?

Speaker 1 (08:17):
I did, yeah, I um.
I mean, obviously it changed alittle bit from when, um, when
you were playing, but they had,I had a draft, but I was, I was
14 at the time and then you, youdon't play that first year, um,
I went up for trading camp andeverything, got the experience
and got to see spokane, what itwas all about.
But, um, obviously I'm anamerican, so I was.

(08:38):
It was a little different atthe time because there wasn't a
lot of americans coming up tothe western league.
It's more common now and it'sum, I got a lot of Americans
coming up to the Western Leagueit's more common now and I got a
lot of, like, some backlash forthat and my parents were kind
of navigating it with me and youknow, as a young kid, you're
not, you know, you're not, Iguess, fully there to make
decisions on your own at thatpoint.

(08:58):
So you take, you know, helpfrom your parents as well.
But looking back on it, I havezero regrets and it was for me,
it was the, it was the perfectdecision.
Um, we committed to Spokane andthey drafted me um in 2005 and
then a yes, I play as a 16 yearold and, uh, luckily enough, I,
um, I was able to play my wholejunior career there when I uh,

(09:21):
when the championship, and itwas, uh, some of the best
memories of my hockey careerabsolutely.
And uh, tim Speltz, uh, was theGM there at the time, um, and
obviously Bobby Bretts he'sstill there and was when you
were, and uh, chris Moulton wasa part of their, their staff,
drafting me and scouting me andwhatnot.
So it was, um, but yeah, thoseare the best memories I could

(09:44):
say of my hockey career inSpokane, because it was just
such a good time of hockey forme.
It was drafted the nhl fromthere, uh, being a 16 year old
to 20, it's just a lot ofdevelopment years as a human
being and a hockey player.
So, um, it was a lot of fun.
And on top of that, my uh, mymom actually moved up there too
at the time when I played there,so she lived with me there.

(10:06):
My family actually bought ahouse, oh wow, and my dad came
up as much as he could a coupletimes a month, and so it kind of
became home for us for a while.
So it definitely holds aspecial place.
I met my wife there too, soit's a great place to our family
.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Yeah well, they're so formative those years, no
matter where you are as ateenager, I don't care if you're
playing hockey or not you'regoing to remember things from
your teenage years.
Then, when you get to spend itall in one place and you're away
from home and you have thegalvanizing forces of a hockey
team and all the time you spendon the bus and everything else,
if you wrap that into success,also with the team right which I

(10:46):
we had as a group in spokaneand you obviously did with, with
winning the big prize therethere's, it is.
It's tough to match, you know,like I say that to guys and
obviously we all have our ownaspirations of what that's going
to look like down the road andwe all want to have nhl careers
and we have these big, bigdreams, uh, but it boy, like
those steps along the way,sometimes that becomes like the

(11:07):
big, the big thing you know,like for sure you winning that
memorial cup, I would assume atthis point is is the, is the
highlight right, like that's the, that's a huge trophy to win
absolutely, to be honest, Ididn't know.

Speaker 1 (11:18):
You don't realize the extent of it when you're that
young and this long laterplaying, you know, 17 years
since that year we won.
I mean, you just don't findthat like camaraderie and that
um atmosphere of just winningwithin a team very often, and I
I have won two championships inpro hockey since then in europe
and it's just, you see it, yousee what you know how a group

(11:40):
can come together, but it's veryrare, you don't, you don't see
it often.
That was something that Ididn't necessarily take for
granted, but I didn't realizehow special it was and it's.
Looking back on it, I mean,it's just, it's the best
memories for us now, justbecause it was, you know, the
Memorial cup, but it's, it's.
It's such a big trophy injunior hockey.

Speaker 2 (12:09):
And at the time I just didn't realize the value of
it, I guess.
But looking looking at it now,I do, yeah, well, maybe even a
little bit less because you know, and coming out of the states,
like you said, like it was alittle bit foreign to you.
Anyways, you know, once you gotthere and once you arrived, I'm
sure you you mean youunderstood the league and
everything else.
That was your second year there, um, but I could totally see
how, how you know myselfincluded you don't, you don't
understand the magnitude ofstuff, especially like from a
young man's perspective.
Right, you're just along forthe ride and we're enjoying what
we do, and then when you lookback, it's like holy smokes,

(12:31):
like we never won it, but we didget to the final of the one
year, like I said, and that was,I mean, that's a huge thing.
That's the thing I say topeople all the time.
Yes, like lifting the trophy ishuge, but like what, what it
takes to even get there, likethe edmonton oilers last year
losing in game seven you knowthey didn't win the stanley cup,
but if that was as far as theywent, like that's a huge
accomplishment, they would lookback on that with like wow, like

(12:53):
what a great team.
And you know, and what we did,we did everything but win,
essentially, you know, and uh,and I had that a few times in my
pro career.
When I was in bridgeport, wewent to the uh, we went to the
AHL final there.
When we were in uh Mannheim,when the DEL, we went to the
final.
I've been to the final a fewtimes.
I've never have raised thattrophy, uh, but boy, they're a
special team.
Still right, they're totallyspecial teams and it's fun to be

(13:14):
a part of.
Uh, let's, let's backtrack,because the WHL just happened,
whl draft, uh, just happenedagain and it's still a 14 year
old draft.
It's still crazy, in my opinion, that the whl has not changed
that yet.
Uh, but neither here nor there.
It's 14 years old.
So you got these kids that arefinishing their their u15 year,
uh, their second year bantams.

(13:35):
They can't play till they're 16.
But now there's all the hypeand there's all the pressure and
there's everything else thatgoes along with that, and the
parents are stressing out aboutwhat team they're playing on and
if they're in the right leagueand and and all the rest of that
, and I think it's a lot on a 14year old.
But let's just go to where youwere and where you got drafted

(13:55):
from and where you got draftedto, like what you said.
What?
What round were you there theyear you went?

Speaker 1 (14:01):
I was first round in Spokane.
They took me fourth overall andI, um, at the time, like I said
it was, it was more uncommonfor americans, so I was.
They wanted to make sure I wasfully committed to coming before
they drafted me.
So, um, I was all in and we hada handshake agreement and, um,
they went forward with draftingme in the first round and we, we

(14:21):
went with it and I was, I mean,right from the start.
I mean, I remember after thedraft I had, my dad's phone was
blowing up saying what are?
you guys doing this and that I'mlike a kid from california
growing up playing all my youthhockey here until I was 15 and
then, um, you know, at thatpoint you're starting to look at
maybe what junior places Icould go to.

(14:44):
We were looking at the USdevelopment program and then,
you know, college teams start, Imean, poke around a little bit
at that age.
So there was a lot going on andwe just shut the door on it all
from a young age.
So it was kind of a shock, butI mean, for me it worked out
great.
What?

Speaker 2 (15:02):
drew you there, though Sorry to cut you off, but
so what drew you there as anAmerican kid, was it the
recruiting aspect of whatSpokane made you feel?

Speaker 1 (15:08):
comfortable.
I wasn't necessarily a bigschool kid, I wanted to play pro
hockey At the time, justmeeting with teams and getting
more education about the majorjunior, I just felt like the
best route to go for me at thetime.
And, um, just meeting withspokane, we just had really good

(15:32):
conversations and it just itfelt good.
One thing I didn't want to do,I wanted to stay in the states.
That was important to me at thetime, just because and for my
family too, I was just to sendtheir kid up to Canada.
It just seemed like a lot andso we kind of committed to an
American team was kind of whatwe wanted and it worked out that

(15:54):
way and it stayed that wayuntil I was 20 or 19.

Speaker 2 (15:57):
The fourth overall Holy Smoke.
So what youth program were youplaying with down in California?

Speaker 1 (16:03):
I played majority of my youth with the California
wave, um, and that was uh, uh, apowerhouse.
Back then we, uh we went up andplayed in the Kamloops
tournament, uh, medicine hat.
We won both of those Uh.
And then I uh, my last year ofor excuse me minor hockey, I

(16:32):
played for the los angelesjunior kings, uh, for nelson
emerson, and I played u18 therebefore I went up to spokane uh
16.
But yeah, the california waveit's a little bit uh, it's not
necessarily the program.
I I would say that it was backthen now, but, um, jack bogus
was a a big part of that club,jeff turcotte and there were
kind of some staples down here,um, in this area of southern
california when I was growing up, and they built a really good
program in the 88 year, 89, inthe 90s, um, all three of those
years were really good clubs forfor years.

Speaker 2 (16:54):
So it was uh it was good oh, cool, any notable names
from like from that team thatwas winning tournaments up in
canada uh, man from the night,not a whole, like some kids
played college hockey.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
Uh, and a little bit of pro matt lightner, he played,
uh, he played college hockey.
And some pro troy power um, ourgoaltender played at yale.
Uh, nick marisich, um, colinredden played in the western
league, actually played inportland, that's cool.
Um, yeah, some guys.
And then um, it's just hard.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
Why I bring that up is because it's hard and it's
not to dampen any dreams,because I'm the guy who, like,
works with players to help themmake their dreams come true.
But it's like goodness, like asgood as, like that team was
right to come from californiaand to beat you, beat the top
teams up here in canada.
You, you would just think,right, maybe there would be one
guy or two guys that would, thatwould have some names.
We uh funny little story fromfrom Vernon, so like my town is

(17:49):
like at the time when we weregrowing up, 30,000, maybe people
30, 35,000.
And uh, and I left relativelyearly.
But the last year that I washere, which was my major Peewee
year, we went on and we won theuh, the provincials, and that's
as far as you can go at that age, right, so we ended up being
the best team in the province.
I was a second year and thenfrom that team, like a lot of

(18:11):
guys went on, like we had a guy,mike Ford went to Michigan
State University.
There's a lot of guys that wenton and played like BCJ or the
KI up here.
And then we had Matt Higginswho was a first rounder to
Montreal and or the KI up here.
And then we had Matt Higgins,who was a first rounder to
Montreal, and we had Brad Larsonwho was, I think, a third
rounder, played like 500 gamesin the NHL, and then myself was
a second rounder and played somegames in the NHL too.
But like three guys from Vernonon a on a minor hockey league

(18:35):
team, they end up going andplaying the NHL, which is like
unheard of Right that that team,because sometimes it's fun.
It's rare but it but it doeshappen from.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
Time to time.
That's.
That's awesome.
Yeah, it's a small town.
It's a lot of guys from alittle little town.

Speaker 2 (18:48):
Oh, it was crazy yeah , we had that little.
It was a little hotbed here inthe okanagan for a while, just
kind of kept producing guys, um,your 16 year old year, I mean,
well, let's talk about that 16year old, because that that's a
huge.
I mean that's a huge move,right, it's, it's, it's just a
really big move.
And uh, you're away from home.
You, you said your parents didthey have a house there at the
time?
Were you or were you building?

Speaker 1 (19:10):
uh, my parents bought a house up there so, um, my mom
went up with me at 16.
Okay, so you didn't have tobuild it.
I didn't, I never built it up,but we built it like players
with us.
We had a one or two with us ummajority of my time there, so
that must have helped with thetransition, I would assume.
Oh, yeah, it was nice andbecame real good friends with
some of the guys over the yearsand, um, yeah, guys you know

(19:31):
obviously still keep in touchwith today yeah, no, that's
great.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
I remember, uh, like for me, I, I was, I went to
penticton as a 15 year old, somy mom came with me that year,
um, playing with 20 year oldsand stuff, and I, I, I wasn't
like completely naive to juniorhockey and you know what's going
on, sort of, with the socialside of it.
But then the next year I didbillet with with, uh, with a
family that I'm still, you know,still in contact with today and

(19:57):
uh, uh, my, my billet partnerwas Frank Evans, who was a 20
year old old, so I was a 16 yearold.
Coming in Spokane kind of waslike the wily organization,
because they knew that thePostons were like this amazing
billet family.
They didn't want to lose them,but they were going to step away
because they'd done it for solong and Frank was going to
leave, so like, oh, let's bringthis Padolan kid in, you know, a
young guy, maybe they'll, maybethey'll like them and they'll

(20:19):
stick around, right.
So I came in there and Iremember the very first weekend
the billets were like classic,like, so they were a Mormon
family too, right?
So they're like okay, no boozein the house, right, okay, no
swearing.
There's only three rules nobooze, no swearing and no girls
at the house unless we're here.
And I'm like, okay, like I'mall serious, right, I'm living

(20:40):
with this new family, everythingelse.
And so they.
They ended up leaving forsomething that very first
weekend and frank evans withinlike 30 minutes, where there's
girls at the house, there's beerin the house and I'm sure
somebody was swearing.
So I'm like, oh my gosh, thisis junior hockey here we go?

Speaker 1 (20:55):
did they build long after that?
Did they continue to build itup for that long?

Speaker 2 (21:00):
yeah, they did.
I guess it wasn't.
I guess it wasn'tunnormalnormal for Frank or
whatever.
They came back and there was nosign of anything.
I ended up staying with themfor the four years I was there
with the Fossens.
Like I said, they're fantasticpeople.
Those connections are somethingthat you don't forget about
either when you're in that spot.
The 16-year-old let's get backto that WHL as a 16 year old is

(21:26):
not an easy league.
Um, I don't know what it waslike in 07, but I'm sure it was
still a pretty tough league.
It's not as tough as it was,you know.
I just mean from the physicalside of it.
And you know, like the fighting, I remember I fought like me,
like I fought over 10 times Ithink it was like 14 times or
something as a 16 year old andit went down every year.
But but that was just kind ofthe way the league was, and if
you didn't stand up for yourselfor your teammates, you were

(21:47):
kind of just you were the pariaha little bit right.
So sometimes you just had to dowhat you had to do.
But there's a lot ofadjustments there.
I mean it looks like you had areally solid year offensively.
What do you remember about your?

Speaker 1 (21:57):
16-year-old transition year.
I was just talking about thisrecently with someone about.
You know, a lot of 16 year oldstypically don't get, uh, you
know, I would say, a real goodrole on a team um, and I was
lucky enough to to get that justwith the timing of the club, of
where the Chiefs were at at thetime and um them trying to
build up um kind of a group ofplayers to um I mean we won,

(22:20):
ended up winning my second year.
So we were okay that first year.
But I just was able to kind ofestablish myself as a player
that year and get into, get intospots you know I was thankful
for because, like I said, itwasn't, I mean, necessarily
always happening to players or,you know, at the caliber of a 16
year old.
So I, I, I got in on the powerplay and I was playing.

(22:42):
You know I typically playedcenter but I played with some
good guys.
I played with Jason Bowman, whowas a great player.
I played with him for quite afew years there.
He was a prolific scorer andjunior and played in the NHL for
a couple hundred games.
He helped me.
I'd like to think I helped hima little bit too.
It was good.

(23:04):
I'm thankful for it because Iestablished myself as a young
player and I was able to come inmy second year and really kind
of take more of a leadershiprole as a 17 year old.
So that was a big transitionyear but I was able to play
along, which is great.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
Right, yeah, I mean minutes matter, right, and
that's where some guys get, getstuck.
You know as far as uh, whatdoesn't help with the
homesickness if you are buildingright now, you're a 16 year old
and you're maybe you're not inthe lineup, you're not getting
the minutes you're used to, andeverything just becomes tougher.
So at least when the hockeypiece is getting taken care of a
little bit easier, it takes alittle bit of stress off the
player.
Um, next year, yeah, so thenext year, yeah, you step in and

(23:41):
and uh and all the way to theMemorial Cup, which is also your
draft year.
So I mean, whether the Bantamdraft was kind of on your radar
and whether there was anypressure around, that probably
seems like you were more notunder the microscope as a Bantam
, you know you're sort of doingyour thing and maybe not feeling
any type of heat.
Was that a little different foryou as a second year in the

(24:04):
league and now, knowing that NHLteams are watching you and
you're on the radar?

Speaker 1 (24:07):
Yeah, it was a little different, I mean obviously
becoming a little more matureand knowing kind of what's at
stake and what could happen.
Going into that year, I mean Ihad a real good coaching there
too.
I played for Bill Peters myfirst two years there, so he was
there when I was 15 too.
I got to know him a bit therewhen I came up there for a few
games, but he was just a reallygood person for me to be under

(24:30):
as a young man, Just from thedetails of the game to just
being accountable, to work ethic, to just commitment to the
little things in the game.
And I mean he had his way withdoing that with everyone on our
team because everyone boughtinto a system which I mean which
worked really well and it wasso, along with the coaching and

(24:54):
just realizing that I mean therewas a lot ahead of me and I was
, you know, I, you know,obviously, winning my draft
years is almost picture perfect.
I mean it was.
Nothing could have went a wholelot better that way.
And you know I was Memorial Cup.
I mean we won our last ninegames that season the Western
Conference final, we went togame seven versus Tri-City and

(25:20):
then we swept the finals, sweptthe Memorial Cup.
So we were playing well and itwas just, I mean, everything
just fell right into place, uh,before the.
Uh, that summer I got draftedto Calgary, so it was uh, it was
awesome, it was a lot of fun.
That's fantastic and uh.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
And so what was that draft process like, like for you
, like, as far as you know, postMemorial Cup, were you getting
flown around the interviews, thedraft?
How'd that all go for you?

Speaker 1 (25:44):
oh, speaking of that.
So our Memorial cup was in wasin kitchener, ontario, so we, we
won there and this is this wasactually kind of tough because
we won the memorial cup and thewhole team flew back to spokane
to celebrate and I went straightfrom kitchener to toronto for
the nhl combine.
So I didn't even really get toenjoy it with my teammates for a

(26:05):
few days until I got back.
So it was, uh, that was alittle bit tough, but I was
obviously in no place to reallygo fitness test at my best
because I mean, I had justgotten, you know, done playing
within days before, I mean, Ithink the combine was within
four or five days after thefinal memorial cup final.
So I, uh, I went straight thereand then, um, I'd like to think

(26:27):
that went pretty well.
That, you know, with the testingand the interviewing process
was was really something,something that I, you know,
never really experienced howthey they can really, you know,
corny and grill you and ask youquestions that kind of throw you
off and get you thinking.
So, uh, did all that and thenended up back in Spokane for a
while and kind of just preparedfor the draft and I went to the

(26:52):
draft with my parents.
My agent thought I couldpossibly be an out, maybe a late
round first round pick.
So we did go.
I was in Ottawa that year, yeah, and I did not go in the first
round.
I I mean I had no regrets going.
It was an awesome experienceand I mean I think if you have a
chance to get drafted youshould go because it's I mean,

(27:12):
it's just a cool experience tobe around at all and, um, just
to experience all the peoplethere and all the teams.
It was just looking back on it,it was.
It was a lot of fun that'ssuper cool.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
Uh.
So what was the expectationyour personal expectation, it
sounds like about the draft?
Uh, because I've heard a fewstories on here mine included
where you know you expect onething and another thing happens,
and it can be not the best day,you know, and, and whether that
means 10 picks or whether thatmeans five rounds of expectation
, you know and it does matter.

(27:43):
So, being there and maybethinking outside chance first
round, you ended up going to thesecond round, I think.
What did you go?
40?
48.
48.
Yeah so 48, still kind ofmidpoint of the second round.
What was that whole like thattimeline like for you?

Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah, it was.
I mean, my agent was prettystraight on with what he said.
He said there was an outsidechance and there was one team it
was how he told me after thedraft it was the atlanta
thrashers.
At the time he said they, Ithink they had the 27th or 28th
pick.
He says I was in the mix with afew other players and they
ended up going with someone else.
So I, uh, I I entered back inand it was.

(28:21):
I was thinking that maybebecause I grew up right here
outside of anaheim, I thoughtthe Anaheim Ducks possibly were
going to take me in the second Ithink they had a few picks
before I was drafted and endedup taking me.
So I was a little thrown off bythat, but I didn't really know,
I didn't have an expectation ofwhat team was going to take me.
You know, when you're there youkind of think I didn't

(28:44):
interview with every team.
But when a team that youinterviewed with it comes up on
the board, you're thinking, okay, how did that go?
What do they ask?
And because the second roundgoes, I mean, a lot quicker,
it's a much quicker process, soit kind of, you know, snap the
finger a bit more.
So you think about okay, I'm inthe next one, and then calgary.
I didn't really.
I, you know, I'm sure they gotto see me play a lot being in

(29:04):
western canada and whatnot injunior hockey, but I I didn't
really know that they were goingto pick me and you know it all
happened pretty quick.
They call your name and you getup there, right yeah, that's
wild.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
I'm looking at the names, like that was a stacked
draft actually, hey like it was.

Speaker 1 (29:19):
Yeah, there was a lot of good players in the draft.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
Yeah for those listening like first overall
that year was stephen stamko.
Second drew dowdy zach bogosian, alex peter, angelo, luke shen,
uh, josh bailey, tyler meyersstill playing.
Eric carlson, jordan eberly,john carlson, jacob markstrom,
roman yosi holy, talk about astack d I was.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
I was going to say a lot of top-end defensemen were
in that draft.
Yeah, wow yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:55):
I'm going to take a break in the action here, and
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What's really exciting aboutthe UMH 68 Invitational is that
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(31:21):
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(31:41):
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So I'm really proud that thatelite is recognizing uh or ep is
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So really happy to align withElite Prospects and, yeah, get

(32:06):
in there and get your profileverified or even get the premium
account, which really sets youup to manage what you look like
to the hockey world.
So let's get back to theconversation with mitch wall.
So I was 31st, so and and thatwas the thing too like I was,

(32:28):
maybe actually toronto shook myhand that day and said I was
going to be their first rounder,like the night before, and that
they were going to trade up forme and I thought I was going to
be a 14th overall selection andI'm going 31st.
So, like those, that 15, those15 picks or whatever, felt like
15 hours and it was.
I was going to be a 14thoverall selection and I'm going
31st.
So, like those, that 15, those15 picks or whatever felt like
15 hours and it was toughsitting there Right.
But beyond that, I always, youknow, I think we all kind of

(32:49):
feel like, especially at thattime, that things were going to
go differently as far as, likethe NHL path and you know and
all the things that happened.
I ended up playing 41 games.
Thought, like I said in thepodcast, at the beginning, I
felt like it was going to be athousand and it never did.
I mean, there's a lot of thingsthat change and can change.
You know that go wrong or goright, or timing with the
organization or, who knows,maybe a missed opportunity.

(33:12):
What for you, do you feel whenyou look back?
And you're still playing prothe way, and this is not a shot,
and I hope you don't take itthat way because I'm in the same
boat as you but, like I'm sureyou wish there was an NHL game
on your resume.
Are you sure you wish that youwere in the NHL, like what?
What happened with you at thebeginning there, after you got
drafted in your next steps, that, that, um, that.

Speaker 1 (33:32):
That has you you know where, where your career ended
ended up going yeah, I mean,there's just been so much that
has gone on since since thattime and it's um going back to
just from being drafted.
It was, um, a lot happened fromthere, um, and so I played as
an 18 year old spokane uh, wehad a really good team that year

(33:53):
as well.
Um, that was actually the yearthat a lot of teams actually
kind of thought maybe we wouldhave a chance to win, and we
ended up winning the year before.
So we lost in the second roundof Vancouver that year, but it
was, we had a chance that yearas well.
And then I came back as a 19year old.
I played with Kyle Beach on theline and we had a great season
together as both 19 year olds.

(34:15):
Then we went on to pro hockeyat that point.
But so, going into my 20 yearold year, I had a lot of things
happen to me.
So I played, I think, eight ornine games and I got a crazy um
infection in my ankle and Iended up in the hospital for uh
weeks over this.
And then I, uh I and my anklewas.
You know, I thought it wasreally scary.

(34:37):
I didn't know if I was gonnalose my foot or lose my bottom
half of my leg or what I endedup recovering from that.
It took a long time I I,because I only played.
I think it was like 15 gamesthat year or so.
Um, I came back and then that'syour first pro year you're
talking about now yes, this ismy first professional year in an
amateur at the time, right,right.
So I um from there I came backand I think it was my second

(35:00):
game back.
I got this is on youtube, youdon't want to see it I got
completely flattened and knockedout from a hit in abbotsford
and land in a pool of blood andI was starfished on the ice and
I broke my broke my whole sideof my face here.
I had a very bad concussion, uh, I had surgery on my cheekbone

(35:22):
and, um, that was just somethingthat really set me back and I
missed, I mean, almost my wholefirst year pro at that point and
I I barely I mean, I played alittle bit in the beginning and
I had, like I said, that anklething, this concussion thing,
and that was really bad for mebecause I tried to come back,

(35:42):
for, I think a few months laterI got bumped again and they just
shut me down for the rest ofthe year.
So that was my first year pro.
And you know how it is, like yousay, after that point, like you
said, right place, right timewhere the organization's at.
So I was drafted by DarylSutter in Calgary and after that
first year pro they completelycleaned house and all new staff

(36:07):
came in and I'm a guy who youknow I thought they had a lot of
value in as a second round pickand you know I was pretty I
mean, I'd like to think I waspretty highly touted for them,
but I didn't really play as afirst-year pro, as a 20 year old
.
So they come in, the new staffit was John Weisbrod, jay

(36:27):
Feaster.
We came in as the, as the, asthe management staff, and I just
wasn't, I just wasn't one oftheir guys and unfortunately I
just never was able to catch upand get back on my feet and
didn't came in and I wasn'tpositioned as really how I
thought I would be.
And you know it's not a sobstory, it's just like you said,

(36:49):
it's right place, right time,position, reality yeah, it was
just the reality of it.
And so I didn't get to play, Imean a little bit in the
aperture in my second year andthen at that point I was
actually loaned.
So I wasn't traded and I don'tknow if a lot of people know
exactly how that works.
My second year I was loaned tothe Hamilton Bulldogs but I was

(37:13):
still a property of the CalgaryFlames.
But I was playing for theMontreal Canadiens' American
Hockey League team and at thetime I thought it was going to
be great for me, I was going toget an opportunity to play.
Hamilton, I think, was in thebottom of the league when I went
there.
But looking at it from theirperspective, I was just kind of
another guy to just fill in ifthey needed me guys.
Actually they didn't have anyties to me.
They had no investment in meand I wasn't a draft picker.

(37:35):
They didn't give me any, youknow, signing bonus money.
So they were going to play theirguys over me, no matter what,
like because they invested indraft picks, signing bonuses,
they were paying guys.
So like why would they play acalgary prospect instead of
their own guys?
So it made sense.
So I went there and I'm prettymuch burned two years so and
then you have one year left andit just at that point I was kind
of just pushed out.

(37:56):
I I mean, calgary didn't inviteme to their summer camp that
year.
Wow, yeah, it just went likethis from kind of on a high to a
fast down.

Speaker 2 (38:08):
Yeah like welcome to pro hockey right.

Speaker 1 (38:10):
Yeah, that was my introduction.
And then they finally traded melike at the very end of my
third year at PhiladelphiaFlyers and I played just for a
quick minute.
What was it at the time no,third year it filled out the
flyers and I played just for aquick minute in.
What was it at the time?
No, it was Adirondack.
That's where their AmericanLeague team was, and we were our
last place team in the league,I think.
So it was rough.
It was rough and then you knowafter that your entry-level

(38:33):
contract is done and you've gotto kind of feed for yourself now
.
So it was uh.
My experience wasn't the best.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
That happens fast, right, like that, and that
happens.
Like that happens really fast.
Uh, meaning like from prominence, or the one line that I
remember somebody told me waslike from prospect to suspect,
you know, like that's what yeah,that goes quick and and I don't
know when that, when thatchanges, right, because even

(39:02):
from a personal example, likewhich I've said in this podcast
a few times, when I was like,when I got to, let's say, lowell
, even so, I'd been traded twiceat that point, I was traded to
toronto and I was traded to laand la had me in the minors and,
uh, I don't know, I was likestill 23 or something or 24,
like well, young, you know, Imean still young enough and

(39:22):
still producing at the AHL level, but it was almost like I'd
been classified as an AHL or bysomebody at that point, you know
, and it's like, okay, notanymore.
And yet I'd see these guyscoming out of college that were
even a year older than me, likethe one, the one that I remember
specifically, and it's JasonKrog, who's a good guy and he
was a hell of a player, like hewon the Hobie Baker, uh, but he
was a year older than me and hecame to Lowell and like had less

(39:44):
points than me after signinglike a million dollar deal, yet
he was a prospect at that point,right, because he was new and I
was a four-year pro that hadn'tquite made it yet, so I wasn't
a prospect anymore.
Like it's just so weird whenyou get into that when you get
into that world right About,like perspective and who has you

(40:07):
where and all that stuff.
But let's talk to you becauseinjuries are tough, man.
Like injuries are super tough.
The only real big injury I hadboth of them were in Germany and
it was at the end of my career.
I had a bad concussion and Ihad a bad shoulder that I had to
have surgery on and I wasn'tthe same after either one of
them.
I had a bad shoulder that I hadto have surgery on and I wasn't
the same after either one ofthem.
As a player, you know, nomatter what, I tried to do
everything I could to come backbut it just wasn't quite the
same.
I just felt it wasn't the same.

(40:27):
You know you having that bighit there early on, what was
your recovery like from thatconcussion and do you feel that
you ever really did get back toyou know your best?

Speaker 1 (40:40):
Yeah, that's a hard question to answer, just because
I never really got to the levelI wanted to in North America.
So I feel like I've paved out apretty decent career in Europe.
But just from that standpoint,yeah, it was tough to recover
from, especially as a20-year-old.
Going back to that year too,too, I would have had a lot of
opportunity that year.

(41:01):
We had a very young team inabbotsford and I would have been
able to play a lot as a 20 yearold.
So, looking, looking back onthat, it was tough because I
might not necessarily would havehad the point production stuff.
We didn't have a great team, ayoung, a young team, but it was.
It was something where I couldhave really gotten the
experience to play a lot at theAmerican Hockey League when I
was a young man.
So just that, and I lost a lotof experience, I think, because,

(41:25):
as we know, it's just hard toget those minutes at that level.
So that was tough but it took awhile I really did.
I didn't really think I got tolike back on my feet until the
next really year, like getplaying consistently.
When they sent me down to Utahthat year, I got into kind of a.

(41:46):
I was playing in the East CoastHockey League at that point but
I got into kind of playing withsome jam in my game again,
scoring some goals and feelinglike I was a player again, which
was nice.
Of course you didn't want to beat that at that level, but it
was it was.
It was good because I was ableto play and kind of get some
confidence in my game and myself, which was nice.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
Yeah, yeah, no for sure.
The yeah.
And what a pro like, what aformative year, you know, like
that first year pro and onlyplay 17 games, you know, and and
, and it's not like you're inthe background being able to
train and stuff, like with theinjury you had, it's you know
you're just trying to recoverand let your body heal.
So you're really losing a yearof development.

(42:27):
And then I can totallyempathize with you on that
change, your regime, which I,you know, I had that one year
when I, when I got traded toToronto, I traded for Kirk
Muller straight up and then, andthen that's like two months
later cliff fletcher got fired,the gm like that's a huge
difference, right.
Like then a new gm comes in andlike they have their own way of
doing things and their ownplayers that they like and you
can kind of do whatever the heckyou want and there might not be

(42:49):
that opportunity there andthat's the thing that, um, I
think the average fan doesn'tquite get.
You know, like that you do.
Well, someone has to like youthere and if they don't like you
, they can.
You know, for whatever reason,there can be no reason, right,
they just it's not your guy Likethey never traded for you and
they want to put their own stampon the organization.
So I mean, it is what?

Speaker 1 (43:09):
it is.
I'm still experiencing that at35 years old, still playing, you
still see it.
You need people in your cornerin an organization that will
either brought you there becausethey got skin in the game,
vouch for you, or you know thatthey believe in you in some
capacity.
And if you don't have that,it's hard.
You can always change people'smind, but it's hard to do

(43:32):
sometimes, especially whenthere's a lot of guys on the
team and your spots are kind oflog jammed that you know that
could be a spot for you.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
so it's um, it's tough and I don't want to make
it, make it sound like peopledisempowered out there, I mean,
because that's a little bit theway I felt as a pro, and the
thing that I understand now withwith the, you know, the ability
to reflect, is you do stillhave the power to influence for
sure, you know, I mean, but forme I always felt that, okay, if

(44:02):
I can do my thing on the ice,like on the ice, like that's
really where my focus was waslike, how am I playing?
What am I doing, right?
How am I providing value?
And and I was doing that, but Iwasn't necessarily buying into
the relationships that you justtalked about, right, I wasn't
necessarily buying into thedetails that you just talked
about, right, I wasn'tnecessarily buying into the
details, uh, you know, beforepractice, or hanging around the

(44:23):
rink, or having theconversations with, with people
that I should be havingconversations with, and and I
don't mean that in like acontrived type of way, right,
but just in a way of like beinga really good pro up and down,
you know, like up and down anduh, and that's one of the things
that I think is like soinvaluable for guys to

(44:43):
understand is like that piece ofthe puzzle.
Right, like that.
You need to set yourself up withas many ways as possible for
success.
Right, like, as many ways aspossible.
So, yes, you need to be able toplay, but you also need to play
in a lot of different ways.
Like you have to be able toproduce offensively.
You have to be able to play,but you also need to play in a
lot of different ways.
Like you have to be able toproduce offensively.
You have to be able to killpenalties If somebody asks you
to.
You have to be able to playmore than one position.

(45:04):
Right, like you have to takethat whole thing and you have to
be as robust as you can.
Then you also need to havealliances and allegiances and
people who are going to go tobat for you away from the rink,
and you do that by havingdetails and do that by doing

(45:25):
these other things.
So there's always things youcan do.
It's never going to be perfect,right, and you might not get
through, but I just I keeptrying to get guys now like just
keep stacking those blocks.
You know, keep stacking thoseblocks, um, because what's the
best you can do and the onlything you can do, and anything
else is just wasted energy.
So I don't know, like, how doyou relate to that now as a 15
year old pro?
Like, do you, do you?
Do you see sort of the value inthat now as well?

Speaker 1 (45:40):
Absolutely, I'm still seeing it at 35 years old.
I mean you nailed it on thehead with that one.
I feel like that's.
I mean, just like you said, youwant to give yourself every
opportunity to succeed and everyopportunity to be in the
highest place you can be withthe staff and who who controls
your ice time and who controlsyou know a lot for you.
So it's as long as you'recontrolling what you can control

(46:01):
and not worrying about the rest, and putting your best foot
forward.
I feel like that's what youhave to do and, like you said,
the little details of you knowdon't be late to meetings.
Be the guy that they see.
The commitment level is reallyhigh, and not just the
commitment level but the passionfor it.
You want to be out there, youwant to get better, you want to
improve and those are.

(46:22):
Those are all the things that Imean as a young kid.
For sure they want to see, butI mean at the pro level.
I mean that's just you're doingeverything you can to position
yourself at the highest pointpossible.
I mean it's not always.
I mean there's countless amountof guys that I've seen that,
wow, why didn't this guy make itand how did this?
How did this guy do it and itit's uh, it's a lot of the time.

(46:43):
It's just, it's the commitmentand just the details and the
work of it, because it's notalways the most skilled guy
who's going to make it.
At the end of the day, it's um,it doesn't have the best shot,
it might not have the best youknow skating ability, but um, iq
, but it's the guy who you knowwill commit to what he needs to
do to get to the highest point,the highest level he can as a

(47:03):
player.
So yeah that's a good point.
I like what you said there.

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Yeah, yeah it's the one thing when I'm working with
players now and for players outthere listening like this again,
this is not contrived, it hasto be authentic and that's why I
try and teach from like thebottom up, like why, like this
is an action to do, but this iswhy you're doing it.
And the thing is is like and Itake this from my personal

(47:29):
standpoint like I've I reallyoperated as like a solo entity,
right, like meaning I woulddefinitely work out and I worked
my ass off, but I wouldn'treally include people in that
journey, if that makes sense.
You know, like I had my peopleI worked out with, but I was, I
was the lone wolf.
I kind of always have been.
You know, that's just sort ofthe way I operated.

(47:50):
And I say now, like having theconversations with the coach and
seeing you know where, whereyou're at with them, you know,
how are you helping the team?
How are you not helping theteam being where you're at with
them?
How are you helping the team?
How are you not helping theteam being able to share what
you actually want, like beingbrave and vulnerable enough to
say this is my goal.
Right, I want to be whatever.
What do I want to be.
I want to help this team win 50games this year and I want to
be a first-team all-star.

(48:11):
That's what I think I can dothis like where do I need to get
better?
How do I, how do I, how do Iget my acceleration up so I can?
I can be a more multidimensionalplayer, like when you get that
type of a, an inner circle,right, like an inner circle of
people that you're including inyour journey, that understand

(48:34):
what you want.
They want to support you ingetting that and, like to your
point, you're dedicated andcommitted, like you're not just
you know, it's not fluff, you'renot asking the questions, just
ask the questions, but you'reactually going to be doubled
down and and do the things.
Now you've, like, built thissupport team that is really
invested in you being amazingand that's what you want to be.
Right, and again, that's a hugedifference there, because now

(48:56):
that guy is watching for yoursuccess.
The coach is, oh, where's hisimprovements being made, right?
Oh, maybe I'm going to give himthis opportunity here.
So I just think, like thatstacks the deck a little bit
more positively for you, right,like when you bring good people
in and the good people can bepeople within your organization.
They can also be peopleelsewhere, but it is definitely
takes a village, I think, to doit right, you know not not the

(49:18):
lone wolf mentality.
I I agree.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
Yeah, I agree fully.
I mean it's the more peoplethat are helping you and in your
corner.
I mean I just see the morevalue in it, yeah, more value
and find good people.

Speaker 2 (49:28):
I mean trust good people.
But listen and be curious aboutyour own development.
What would you call when I'mworking with players?
I call it their personaloperating manual, right, like
players.
I call it their personaloperating manual, right, like,
cause, we're all different.
You know, like, how do you?
How does Mitch play his best?
You know, consistently, Uh,what have you found out about
yourself over the years?
That maybe is a little bit, Idon't know.

(49:50):
It doesn't have to beindividual to you, but, like, do
you think that there's anythingabout your preparation or your,
uh, your training in the offseason, or even your approach to
games that, uh, that you findunique to yourself?

Speaker 1 (49:58):
I think about.
I mean I just feel that, likewhen you know that you put in
the work, I mean it brings aconfidence to you.
It brings more confidence,knowing that you're prepared to
play and that you're ready toget.
You know the level you need tobe at training camp and just for
the season.
That just brings a level ofconfidence mentally and that

(50:18):
changes your whole thinkingabout yourself.
You have have no, you'reridding of self-doubt and and
anxiety and worries.
And fit, I mean fitness testing.
That's always something thatI've always a lot of players
dread every year, just becauseit's like you want to, you know
you want to do the best you can,but I've never really tested
well on the bikes and thingslike that.
Those are things that, like youknow you just if you can feel

(50:41):
good about those things, it justit doesn't get, it doesn't have
to creep.
There's nothing that can creepinto your head.
That you're, you know you'remaking yourself oh, I wasn't
ready for this or ready for that, and at the end of the day it's
, it's what you can do on theice and I understand like I'm

(51:02):
just on the ice, I feel like I'mplaying with just some jam in
my game a little bit of a littleedge to me.
Even though that I am, I seemyself as more of an offensive
player.
But I mean, over the years I'vehad to adapt to a little bit
different roles, especially thispast couple years.
And, you know, being able to beversatile, not just a one-trick

(51:24):
pony, and be able to.
You know, I I was never reallya penalty goal player when I was
younger.
I've kind of become one now.
So it's like and it's maybehelped me prolong a little bit
too, so it's uh, stuff like that, just being able to adapt along
the way if you want to.
You know, stay in the game andbe in the game.

Speaker 2 (51:44):
I'm going to take one more break from the episode and
we are going to be recognizingIron Ghost Construction at this
break, which has been a platinumsponsor for the UMH 68
Invitational, has been really,really involved in the local
stuff I do here in Vernon, notonly with my stuff, but Iron
Ghost supports across the minorsports spectrum.

(52:05):
Mr McKechnie has been beenreally, really generous with his
time and and with uh and withwith the funding for these
different programs.
He really likes to give back toyou sports and and I couldn't
be happier to be involved withhim and to get his, his great
company, out there and andhopefully this drops on some
ears for somebody who's adecision maker out there in the

(52:27):
uh.
In the construction world, ironGhost Construction is
recognized as a top contractorin multiple industries, such as
oil and gas, forestry andagriculture, from building
turnkey production facilitiesthat produce canola oil,
biodiesel, condensate and oil tokeeping up with industry
changes in forestry, where newtechnology and equipment are
replacing that of the past.
Iron Ghost specializes in themain structures, with a large

(52:50):
employment of iron workers,crane operators and millwrights.
Iron Ghost has successfullycompleted projects in BC,
alberta and Saskatchewan.
So if that is the world youlive in.
I know a lot of hockey playersand a lot of hockey enthusiasts
are involved in that world.
Iron Ghost Construction.
Have it on your radar.
Make sure they get a bid out.
If you have a big job coming upand I know that they will serve

(53:11):
you well.
I know they've done a great jobwith the projects that I've
heard about.
And, again, if you can supportsomebody who supports you sports
, I think that we should makethat choice and invest wisely.
So let's get back to theconversation with Mitch Wall.
Let's get back to theconversation with Mitch Wall.

(53:36):
I love your, yeah, thepreparation, and I want to make
a note there on an even playeridentity.
Those are two good topics, Ithink, to chat about a little
bit.
The preparation piece like I, Itell athletes all the time that
we usually get transfixed andreally focused on results, and
that's where a lot of our youknow deposits get made for our
confidence.
Let's say it right.
I mean if we're, if we'rehaving success on the ice and
you know, if we, if we deemourselves to be offensive

(53:58):
players and we're scoring goalsor creating, creating assists
and and, and we feel good aboutthat, you know, and you're,
you're a plus and you'reblocking shots, you're not
getting beat.
We're feeling good about that,like those are the natural ways
to to build confidence.
But the thing is is like, well,what if you haven't played in
that league yet, or you haven'teven played a game there, or
you're just going to a new camp?
Or what if things aren't goinggreat for the last week or two?

(54:20):
Does that mean that you can'thave confidence anymore and it's
gone?
And my answer to that is no.
And because there's differentways that you can build it and
one of them is, like what you'retalking about, that people
sometimes don't put enough umemphasis on or focus on.
And that is like how ready am I?
Right?
Like when you look across theroom, even in your own dressing
room, and be like I work way,you know I got I got my shit

(54:42):
taken care of more than this guydoes.
You know.
You look across the ice of theother team and it's like I know
no one one's here as ready as Iam.
No one's put in the hours onthe bike or whatever as I have.
Like it gives you an earnedsense of confidence that isn't
directly related to results.
So I love you talking aboutthat, because that piece and you
can call it preparation whetherit be like preparation of your
body right, like physicalpreparation about how ready you

(55:04):
are, or even if it is like yourpreparation, your pregame
preparation, your postgamerecovery, like if you feel that
you have a process there that iselevated, that is beyond other
guys around you, like that's anadvantage.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
Right.
I like what you said aboutdeposits, like doing little
things just to make deposits,just to know that those add up
over time.
They definitely add up andmentally they add up to you know
, getting your head into a rightplace, cause it's as you, as
you know, the game is so mentaland it's you know you're you can

(55:38):
be your best friend or your,you know, your own worst enemy
in your head.
So it's that's, that's a reallyimportant part of the game.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Yeah, yeah, danny Breer comes back to mind.
Uh, he's longtime nhl.
I'm sure you remember that nameis gm of the philadelphia
flyers.
Now, yeah, he was a.
He was one of my first podcastguests, actually and and I
remember him specifically saying, like he was a smaller guy,
like I don't know five, eight,five, nine kind of size, and
that was back in the early 90swhen the league was huge, and he

(56:06):
said that that turned out to befor him like his real, like his
cloak of armor kind of right,that he he ended up getting like
his mental routine and hisphysical routine got to such a
standard that he felt that therewas nobody on the ice that was
as prepared as he was.
Yeah, and and because he like,because he felt that on the ice,
like now, his size wasn't afactor anymore, right, like he

(56:27):
was more ready, he was moreprepared.
And and he felt that on the icenow his size wasn't a factor
anymore, he was more ready, hewas more prepared.
And he said that was a hugecompetitive advantage for him or
not.
And whether the reality of thatwas true it didn't matter,
right, because for him it wastrue.

Speaker 1 (56:40):
Right, exactly, if it's in his mind, that's all
that matters at the end of theday for him.

Speaker 2 (56:46):
Yeah, and you have to build that belief in yourself
like that.
And that's where it all comesfrom, right, that that personal
belief.
And if you've done things foryourself, then when you look in
the mirror and you feel that way, that gives you the swagger
right to go out there and to dothe things.
So, um, yeah, no, I, I thinkthat there's real value to that
and and you only really learnthat I shouldn't say you only
really learn that, but that'swhy it's so nice to be around

(57:07):
success, right, to be aroundguys that are maybe beyond where
you are in your career, whetherit be for age wise or even
skill wise.
Because I know, every time youlevel up right or at least my
experience was, you know, goingfrom you know the bchl, the whl,
that these practices aredifferent.
Oh, this attention to detail isdifferent, right, going from
the ahl to the nhl, oh, theseguys prepare a little

(57:28):
differently.
You know, like I thought Iworked hard before.
Now it's like, oh, there's a,there's a different standard,
right.
So continuing to be curiousabout your, your own personal
standard, and continuing toelevate that, I think that's a.
It's a hard thing to do, but Ithink if you can actually like,
as we're talking about it rightnow, for anyone listening there
at home, like that's one thing Iabout with athletes all the
time Like where is your standardright now and where do you

(57:51):
think you can get to?
Like, are you maxed out?
And if you are, you're lyingright.
And where is your low point?
Because I think when we can getinto that ideation of like yeah
, I can do more of this or I cando more of that, or I haven't
given any attention to this,that's just again building that
muscle of confidence, absolutelyyeah.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
Those are really good points, really good stuff.
I like that a lot.

Speaker 2 (58:18):
What was the other?
I so you were.
You were talking about thepreparation aspect, and there's
the other piece that I wanted toto to swing back on.
You remember what that was?
The preparation.

Speaker 1 (58:28):
And then, just then, we were talking about the
commitment to the details.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
Yeah, the commitment to the details there was one
point there that I wanted tohighlight and I can't remember
what it is now.
I haven't talked to you aboutthe World Junior.
That must have been a highpoint too.
I know that for me I was ableto play for Team Canada, we won
gold the one year Again echelon,kind of like you know,

(58:55):
benchmark career point, you knowlike to be able to represent
your country and do all that waslike super cool.
Um, what was the world juniorexperience like for you?

Speaker 1 (59:00):
yeah, it was, it was.
You nailed it right there.
That was a it was.
It was awesome.
Mine was in ottawa the year Iplayed, so it was, um, you know,
playing in a the year I played,so it was playing in a Canadian
market.
Fans were crazy.
Great environment.
Our team underachieved,unfortunately.
We had a really good team.
I thought we could have had achance to do a lot better.

(59:21):
We got upset by Slovakia in thequarterfinals.
It wasn't expected by any means, so it was, uh, so I think we
ended up finishing, I believe,fifth, but it was.
It was a great experience.
I mean, obviously, to put the US sweater on um, we, I actually
they took myself and my linemate from Spokane, grayson

(59:43):
Bowman.
They took us as a, as a pair,to play there together as well.
And then, uh, so it was, we hada good team.
I mean you look at that roster,there's a lot of a lot of
nhlers on that roster.
But, um, it was, it was.
I mean, obviously you wouldlike to do better, but it was
just an honor to wear the jersey, so it was.
I was just, it was great to beselected.

(01:00:03):
I, I played at 18 actually anduh, and they didn't take me as a
returning player at 19, whichwas a big surprise and it was a
disappointment for sure, but Iwas thankful to play at least
the one year.

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Yeah, that's wild, eh , yeah.
Because, you had a good yeartoo, right in Spokane that next
year.

Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
It was my best hockey year, I'd say I ever had.
Right, yeah, but it was, youknow.
Know, there's a lot of players,there's a lot of players that
are, you know that again,different, like you said, we
talked about this earlier justdifferent staff and how they
value you and you know theywanted I mean, they spoke to me
and everything and they saidthey, they wanted me as a uh,
you know, as a kind of like atop six or not at all.

(01:00:45):
So that's um, that's kind ofwhat they did.
And they went with another,another group, and the staff
changed, the coach changedwhatnot, so it was, uh, it
wasn't the same people, so itwas, um, it was definitely a
disappointment, but it was.
I was definitely thankful to atleast where I've been one year
yeah, how invested are you are?

Speaker 2 (01:01:02):
are you in the spokane chief run right now?
I know as an alumnus like I, Ihave my on it.
I'm not watching them all thetime, but it's really cool to
see the success there.
I'm a little more personallyinterested this year because my
one single season playoff pointrecord for Spokane was broken
this year by Cat and thenCrystal.
So that was cool to see thatrecord fall.

(01:01:23):
And now I'm watching to see ifCrystal can beat my 21.
And he's kind of who knows?
He still obviously has a chance, but he's one behind.
So I've been watching a littlemore closely.
How do you watch the Chiefs androot for them?

Speaker 1 (01:01:34):
Yeah, I mean, over the years you get bits and
pieces.
I don't follow it that close.
Obviously, this year there'sbeen a little more excitement
around the team and I mean Ihave not just from my time in

(01:01:55):
spokane, but I have ties,obviously, that my wife's from
just outside of spokane so we dogo back to the area every now
and again and um, rooting forhim big time.
Tough to see him down right now, but uh, I talked to um jay
stewart there in the officestill every now and again and uh
, yeah, I actually got a callfrom spokesman just the other
day.
Just they wanted some uh, talkto some of the players from the
08 winning team because theythey see it as kind of like a a
similar style of team and kindof like the story path that
they've kind of gone on fromlast year, our my first year,

(01:02:18):
like we talked about earlier, my16 year old year we were kind
of a team that was okay and thena team that kind of took a huge
step my second year and theythey were explaining that's kind
of like a similar story thisteam has had.
So, uh, yeah, they wanted totalk to a few of the players
from the 08 team.
So it's, yeah, definitely beena little more invested this year
rooting for him big time yeah,that's cool and that's how you
give a shout out to my buddy,mike.

Speaker 2 (01:02:39):
mike edgehouse, who is a resident of cordelaine,
idaho.
So he's uh, he's been followingthe chiefs for a while and and
was having a discussion aboutabout the podcast.
He listens to the podcast andsaying that I needed a guest and
he's like you should, youshould interview Mitch Wall.
He's like he was just in thespokesman talking about his 08
run and I'm like you know what Ishould, because I think he just
followed me on Instagram, soI'll reach out to him.

(01:03:01):
So that's kind of wild the waythat whole thing all works.
And here we are now chatting.

Speaker 1 (01:03:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:03:07):
Spokestan was great.
I mean I'm glad to see they'restill there.
They do a good job coveringthat team and it's fun to watch
their success.
Hopefully they can get it goinghere.
But that Medicine Hat teamlooks deep and looks tough to
beat.

Speaker 1 (01:03:19):
Yeah, and what I've noticed, they haven't even had
McKenna in the lineup the lastcouple of games.
So wow, yeah, that's wild.
That's why we're home, it lookslike right, and then they go
back.
Well, hopefully so.
Do you have any?

Speaker 2 (01:03:30):
special memories from that run, like it was there any
moments.
Uh, the Memorial cup.
I know you said you guysfinished super strong and like
looked like there wasn't even ablip on the radar.
But uh, didn't you say you wentto seven and the second round
or something?

Speaker 1 (01:03:43):
Yeah, that spokesman article, that that uh, that's uh
, I guess it was the way out ofWestern conference finals.
It was versus tri city.
That's still a series that I'veI've never seen a series like
this.
In all of all of my career Inever heard of one.
We went to game seven.
Five of the games went toovertime.
I think three of them went todouble overtime and the first

(01:04:05):
two games were one zero indouble overtime and the first
two games were 1-0 in doubleovertime.
That was the score it was.
It was our team and their team.
I think whoever won that serieswas going to win it.
They were a great team too.
We had Dustin Tokarski as ourgoaltender and they had Chet
Pickard.
It was a first round.
It was a first round drop pickand they that was.
That was quite the battle.
Of course that's always been arivalry, but that that year was

(01:04:28):
a bloodbath.
It was 1-1 going into the thirdperiod in Game 7.
It was quite the series.
We snuck away with the win inthe third period in Game 7.
Were you guys at home?
No, we were on the road.
That was amazing.
We lost six at home.
Justin Falk was telling hisstory.

(01:04:49):
A player that we had on theteam was telling his story in
that newspaper article.
I don't remember it clearly,but he did.
He was talking about it in thearticle.
We had to go home after thegame on six, pack our stuff,
come back to the rink and driveto Tri-City to stay over there
for game seven.
I guess it was hard.
It was hard to do thattransition because you play.

(01:05:11):
I think we played the nextnight.
So it was uh, yeah, we ended upwinning on the road and then
that was the turning point forus.
We, um, we swept left bridge inthe finals and then, uh, which
they had a really talented teamtoo, and then we were just kind
of uh, I mean, in everyone'seyes it seemed like we were just
kind of a throw-in at thememorial cup.
No one really saw us as like a,as a team that really even had

(01:05:33):
a chance, and we went in andjust swept it.
We went 4-0 and we beat thekitchener rangers twice and they
had a team that was, I mean,look at that roster half the
team was end up being all-starsin the nhl.
So it was uh, we uh.
Yeah, it was quite the run, butthat was a great memory.
I mean, I myself and JasonBowman had a great um Memorial
cup.

(01:05:53):
We were, I think, both on theuh, the all-star team at
Memorial cup, so it was.
It's just a.
It's a memory that'll always beat the top of the list, oh
that's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:06:04):
And maybe let's just talk about Bill a little bit,
because Bill was a guest on thepod.
I thought he was fantastic.
I didn't really have much.
I didn't know him much, exceptthat I knew that he came in
relatively soon after I'd left.
Babcock was there, and thenBill came in and Kevin Sawyer

(01:06:30):
was there with Bill, I think,for a while and heard a lot of
good things.
But this was also when Iinterviewed Bill.
It wasn't too long after thewhole, um, kind of whatever you
want to call it scandal at thenhl level and all that stuff.
So I I didn't know if I shouldinterview him.
I didn't know anything abouthim, right.
I I heard from a lot of peoplethat he sounded like he was an
act, like a character guy, right, like that.
Maybe the story needs to betold a little differently.
And so from a podcasterperspective, I'm like oh, do I
want to do this?
like you know, like I don't knowwhere this is going to go, but
I feel like you know he shouldhave an opportunity to share his

(01:06:53):
story and, anyways, I was superimpressed with the guy, like I,
you know he answers textmessages on the phone, like he's
super approachable, like theguys that play for him now seem
to love him.
Uh, what's your, what's yourmemory of Bill?

Speaker 1 (01:07:06):
yeah, he for me.
He was a big part of just mywhole process of coming to
Spokane, getting drafted to theNHL.
I was very fortunate to playfor a coach with that much
stature.
He learned a lot.
I mean, you said you played forMike Babcock.
Yeah, they were very similar injust the way they do things

(01:07:30):
talk really to be honest,because I know obviously I was a
big fan of Babcock because hewas coach of the Ducks when I
was down here in Anaheim for awhile.
But yeah, he actually onBabcock for a second.
He actually took my family outfor dinner one night here in
California to try to get us togo to Spokane.
It was another Spokane put himup to that.

(01:07:52):
So it was cool, I got to meethim.
It was like a 14-year-old whowent to dinner and he ended up
coming over to our house.
It was pretty cool.
It's still Beach Californiahere.
But back to Peters, but he wasjust, he was a great coach for
me to be under as a young man,just to know kind of just what
it took to become a juniorplayer and then I didn't have my

(01:08:13):
whole junior career but just tokind of become a end up being a
pro player Cause he just he hada way of just like making guys
like commit to what he wanted usto do and how, how we wanted to
play, and everyone bought intoit.
Everyone was so like would holdeach other accountable, hold
themselves accountable.
It was something you don'treally see that a whole lot.

(01:08:36):
I've played on a lot of teams.
I've had a lot of coaches and Ihaven't had one like Bill
Peters since and I reallyenjoyed him.
He was great for me.
He's a very good man.

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
I think he knows the games very well and he's
obviously a very successfulcoach.
Yeah, that's awesome.
Maybe we'll finish this withyour.
You know, the move to Europe, Iknow.
For me, maybe I'll just start,start with that, like I, I left
originally because I felt that Ishould kind of needed a reset,
almost like a reinvention.
You know, like I, we talkedabout that prospect to suspect,
like I felt like I was kind ofin that suspect mode and and
maybe if I went over to toEurope and and had some success

(01:09:12):
there, you know, like I've seen,I had seen guys do that, you
know and then be able to comeback and, you know, sign a new
free agent deal or do whateverand get another shot at the NHL.
And that was, that was reallywhat my idea was when I left.
I left relatively young, at 25too, or something, and and then
I got over there and and Rickand, to be honest, fell in love
with it, like it was.
It was just like the lifestylebeing in a new, you know, in a

(01:09:34):
new country.
It was also nice that theywanted to extend my contract and
you know, there was somesecurity there and and I had to
sort of say goodbye to the NHLdream at that point, uh, but
that was the sacrifice of likethe trade-off, right, it's like,
okay, like this is really goodhockey still, uh, there was a
lot of things to really likeabout it, and then that was
where I just ended up staying.
You know, uh, what?

(01:09:55):
What did you enjoy?
Or what was your?
What was your track like to getover to europe?

Speaker 1 (01:10:00):
yeah, I, um, I went over after my.
So I played my entry level yearfor three years and then I I
went over actually for atournament with red bull
salzburg in austria.
I played in that europeantrophy tournament and, um, it's
just like.
Now it's called like it's thechampions league now, but I
played in that for a little justto kind of get a taste of what

(01:10:22):
europe was.
I honestly I was, I didn't knowanything about it, I had no
idea where I was even going orplaying.
I it was something that I justI was brought available to me.
I was like I'll try it, just tosee what it's like.
And at the time, like I said, Ijust my education of European
hockey was just not there and Ididn't ever really think of
playing over there.
So I did go over there and doit, and not that I didn't like,

(01:10:45):
and I just I wasn't ready for it.
I wasn't ready.
I just I felt like I needed tocome back and play at least
another year or two at endstates or canada, and I did that
.
I ended up coming back and Iplayed.
I played two more years.
I didn't get much in theamerican hockey league at that
point.
So when I was 25, I was like,okay, I want to keep playing and
try to, you know, maybe buildsomething new and like you's

(01:11:07):
kind of starting from the groundup again, like I kind of played
my way to where I was and itwent from that prospect to
suspect and I, uh, I had a goodopportunity in Sweden.
I went to the Alaskan hockeyleague and, which is a very good
hockey league, and and and uh,in Europe.
It was a great starting pointand I led the league in goals.
So it was, uh, it was a greatit starting point and I led the
league in goals.

(01:11:27):
So it was, it was a great, itwas a great starting point for
me.
I played in a little town calledOskarsham, sweden, and, and
I've been a journeyman.
If you look at my resume, I'vebeen all over the place over
there.
I've played in, you know,sweden, finland, back to Sweden,
austria for a couple of years,slovakia, and I've been in
Germany for five, six years now.
So I've been around, so I'vegot to see a lot and, looking

(01:11:49):
back on it, I'm really thankfulbecause I've got to see so much
experience, a lot, see a lot ofdifferent levels of hockey and,
like you said, people reallydon't understand until they get
over here or over there, Ishould say, of how good the
actual hockey is over there andhow talented.

(01:12:13):
I mean, like you said, said ingermany you're playing an adler
mani and that's a a big timeclub.
It's like that's, this is theirnhl, like this is their highest
level of hockey.
So I mean it's, it's from thatstandpoint it's awesome.
The fans, um, just the lifeexperience you get with it and
sometimes you get obviously theleague breaks, and my wife and I
have traveled all over europeand we wouldn't, have ever been
able to do anything like that.
Or, you know, see the placeswe've seen if we were, you know,
full-time residents in thestates.

(01:12:34):
So we're, uh, we're thankfulfor it and it's been a great
time of life of past 10 yearsand I'm uh, you know I'm getting
close to the end.
I realize that.
So we're enjoying every minuteof it while we have it good for
you.

Speaker 2 (01:12:46):
Yeah, yeah, I agree, like it's uh, it turns out to be
like almost like I don't knowlike a lifestyle career in in
some ways.
You know, like there wasn't thepressure like you mean, you
still handled it like a pro, butit wasn't the same as playing
in like the grind of the ahl orthe you know the up and down,
like I couldn't be traded ingermany, which was something

(01:13:07):
that I was, that I was becomingmuch more too comfortable with
the north american level, right.
So, like that security was nice.
Like I said, the league breakswas nice.
The only two games every weekwas like crazy nice.
Um, you know, the lack of likehaving to pay bills and set that
up was nice.
Like there were so many thingsthat were cool proximity to all
these new countries and the wayyou traveled around and, yeah,

(01:13:29):
hockey was, I mean, supergrateful to hockey.
Like it turned out to be avehicle for you know, like a
world tour.
Almost right, I ended up I wasable to play in japan too, for
for for a hot minute.
Like that was a really neatexperience.
Yeah, hockey for all you guysout there I mean I, of course,
the nhl is the dream foreveryone that's playing.
But there's so many avenuesthat you never know where this
great game can can take you andyou know, just keep playing hard

(01:13:52):
and and maybe you can be a 15year old pro one one one day too
, uh, like Mr Mitch Wall here.
So I think that's great.
I we, I know you got to run andI do too, but uh, really thank
you for coming on uh so quickly,mitch, and sharing your story.
Yeah, I love it, and I thinkmaybe the moral is do as much as

(01:14:12):
we can to help ourselves withwhat we got.
But I know the less we can lookback with regret the better,
and that's really the way I wantto set guys up, and sometimes
it just doesn't work out as longas you look in the mirror and
say, hey, I did my part, that'sall we can do sometimes, right,
that you know, I did my part youknow that's, that's all we can
do sometimes.

Speaker 1 (01:14:30):
Right, that's all you can do.
And yeah, thanks for having meon Great, great connecting with
you and getting to know you abit, and I look forward to
connecting with you more.
But, yeah, happy to see yougoing to the Academy too,
working with the guys in Coeurd'Alene, and yeah, we'll be
staying in touch, for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:14:42):
Yeah, we didn't have a chance to chat about.
But Mitch I'll just say brieflywas with CDA, coeur d'Alene
Hockey Academy, which is wheremy family and I are going to go
here for the upcoming 25-26season, and Mitch got the itch
and got the phone call to comeback and play.
So he ended up leaving CDA alittle bit earlier there instead
of being the head coach, butmaybe one day our paths will

(01:15:04):
cross again down there, I knowthey've got a great thing going.

Speaker 1 (01:15:15):
I'm happy to be a part of it too.
So, yeah, to the sean routine.
Uh, jerry millmock, they'regreat, people ready there.
They're uh, it's a great spotto be for for players, and I
mean you have the um.
What do you have?
You have the training facility.
You got a 30 second walk to theice sheet.
So I mean the school rightright there too.
I mean you got everything youneed within within about 100
steps.
So it's a.
It's a pretty cool setup thereand great people running it.
It's fantastic yeah awesome man.

Speaker 2 (01:15:34):
Well, you have a great day.
Enjoy california I wish you thebest luck here this coming
season, whenever you decide todo, and uh and yeah, we'll stay
in touch sounds good, man.
Thanks a lot, take care thankyou for listening to the entire
episode with mitch wall.
Uh, mitch, uh really enjoyedthe conversation.
It was awesome to meet and uh,and kind of just get things

(01:15:56):
rolling right away.
Mitch was really uh, what's theright word?
Easy, easy to get a hold of.
Some guys aren't, some guys areuh, there's always something
going on, there's always this,there's always that I get it.
Life is busy and no disrespectto those guys, but it's really
nice a breath of fresh air when,when someone like there's
always something going on,there's always this, there's
always that I get it.
Life is busy and no disrespectto those guys, but it's really
nice a breath of fresh air whensomeone like Mitch rolls in,
says, hey, I'd love to do it,let's get it done.
Boom, 24 hours later we have acall scheduled and we get it

(01:16:22):
done.
So that was great.
Mitch really appreciate it.
A lot to offer, a lot to offerthe, the listeners, and and yeah
, man, it's just.
I think that you know Mitch andI have a lot in common,
obviously.
I think you know we both hadsuccessful careers, really
successful careers that we'reproud of, and we both probably
feel that they could have gone alittle different direction and

(01:16:43):
and just recognize.
You know, for the listener outthere, how tough it is, and when
we talked in that conversationabout trying to do as many
things as you can to giveyourself the best chance at the
success you want, it's reallyfoolish to not do that For some
of us.
You know there's some blinders,right, there's some blind spots

(01:17:05):
that we don't recognize asbeing important or we don't even
recognize as being optionsunder consideration that I would
consider controllable.
So, um, hopefully there aresome pointers uh, in this, in
this podcast here that youlisten to, about areas that are
within your control as players,uh, some areas that are within
your control, potentially, asparents who are helping navigate
, uh, the path and giving thesupport that you want for your

(01:17:27):
players.
But the more things, yes, thatwe can manage, that we can
navigate, that we can feelempowered about taking ownership
of, give you the best chance tohave the journey through hockey
that you want to have.
It's much more than just goingout and scoring a lot of goals
or making a lot of saves orwhatever the thing is that you

(01:17:48):
do on the ice.
When it comes to being a hockeyplayer and not just playing
hockey, you know what it meansYou've got to do the
professional work.
You have to look at yourselfholistically from the ground up
as a person and as a player.
You have to look at therelationships around you.
You have to look about howyou're treating your teammates.
You have to look at yourpractice, habits and your
standards around work, ethic andcompete.

(01:18:11):
You have to understand howcurious you are about
development and improvement.
You have to realize if you arecommitted to the growth mindset
aspect of development andprocess, there are so many
things that are within yourcontrol that go well beyond your
wrist shot that I hope that wasa little bit of an eye-opener
for you guys Because again, assuccessful as Mitch and I were

(01:18:33):
in our careers, I know there'sthings that we would probably
want to undo and try again alittle differently, and that's
why the beauty of this platformworks so well is because we can
extend those types of lessons tothose of you who are listening.
So I hope that works and untilnext time, play hard and keep
your head up.

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EP.158 - Mitch Wahl - From Spokane to Europe: 15-Year Pro Journey

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}EP.158 - Mitch Wahl - From Spokane to Europe: 15-Year Pro Journey