the style of a stay-at-home defenceman. While with the Vancouver Canucks, he established himself as their top shutdown defenceman, being matched up against opposing teams' best players and spending significant time on the penalty kill. He had usually formed a defensive pairing on the Canucks with the often offensive-minded Kevin Bieksa. Bieksa has credited Mitchell with teaching him to be more aware of game situations before jumping into the rush. In order to defend effectively, Mitchell opts to use a longer-than-usual hockey stick. Prior to a game against the Calgary Flames on February 17, 2009, opposing head coach Mike Keenan accused Mitchell of playing with an illegal hockey stick. Mitchell responded by asserting he used the league maximum length at 63 inches. Mitchell is also known for his leadership qualities, serving as an alternate captain on the Canucks. During his tenure with the Minnesota Wild, he was named captain for the months of December 2005 and January 2006 as part of the Wild's rotating captaincy system. At the start of the 2014–15 season, Mitchell was also named the captain of the Florida Panthers. Personal life Mitchell married his wife Megan, a Minnesota native, on August 17, 2006, in Napa Valley, California. They reside in the Yaletown neighbourhood in downtown Vancouver, while returning to Mitchell's hometown of Port McNeill during the summer, where he fishes avidly. During the 2015–16 NHL season, Panthers rookie Aaron Ekblad lived with Mitchell and his wife. Mitchell is an active philanthropist around the Port McNeill community. In 2004, he hosted the first Willie Mitchell Classic, a celebrity golf tournament to raise scholarship funds for high school students around his hometown. He has also regularly donated game-used equipment to fundraise for his former minor hockey team, the North Island Eagles. In the summer of 2009, Mitchell threw the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. In 2014, Mitchell was a VIP guest, sitting at the blue team's chef's table in Hell's Kitchen. Mitchell and wife, Megan welcomed their first child, a son named Paxton, on May 4, 2017. On September 14th, 2022, the Tofino Resort and Marina, co-owned by Mitchell, announced the cancellation of their Race for the Blue fishing tournament and temporary closure of the 1909 Kitchen and Bar as a result of allegations of inappropriate behavior by members of staff. Career statistics Regular season