Ian Mitchell (ice hockey)

Ian Mitchell (born January 18, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Collegiate
Mitchell was selected 57th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, but committed to play college ice hockey at the University of Denver starting in the 2017–18 season. Mitchell immediately found success on Denver's blue line, scoring two goals and 28 assists in 41 games for the team. Denver would win the 2018 NCHC Tournament, securing an automatic bid in the 2018 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. However, the Pioneers would fall in the second round of the tournament to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Mitchell was named an alternate captain for the 2018-19 season. He would put together another good season, scoring six goals and 21 assists. Despite falling early in the 2019 NCHC Tournament, Mitchell and the Pioneers still qualified for the 2019 NCAA tournament, where they would put together a run to the Frozen Four before losing to the UMass Minutemen.

Mitchell considered going pro and signing with the Blackhawks prior to the 2019–20 season, but elected to stay with Denver, where he would be named captain. He would put together his most successful collegiate season, scoring a career high 10 goals, as well as 22 assists for 32 points. For his efforts, he was named AHCA First-Team All-American. Denver was set to play the Omaha Mavericks in the 2020 NCHC Tournament, but the tournament was canceled before any games were played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the 2020 NCAA tournament was also cancelled.

Chicago Blackhawks
Mitchell decided to forgo his senior season at Denver, and signed an entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on April 11, 2020.

Mitchell made the Blackhawks' opening night roster to start his delayed rookie season. Mitchell would log his first NHL point on January 22, 2021 against the Detroit Red Wings with an assist on a goal by Calvin de Haan. He would then later score his first NHL goal on February 11, 2021 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although not a lineup regular, Mitchell stayed with the NHL club for the majority of his rookie season, finishing with three goals and four assists in 39 games.

In 2021–22 Mitchell would not find the same NHL success that he found in his rookie season, as he spent the majority of the year with the Blackhawks AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. In the AHL, he scored 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 57 games. He would also play in five playoff games, registered a goal and assist before the IceHogs were eliminated in the second round by the Chicago Wolves. Mitchell managed to play with the NHL club for eight games, registering a lone assist.

Although he started the 2022–23 season with the IceHogs again, Mitchell was called up on November 18, 2022. After that, he served as a reserve body for Chicago's defense, rotating in-and-out of the lineup as needed, but could not lock down a consistent spot in the everyday lineup. He would score a goal and add seven assists in 35 games with the Blackhawks.

Boston Bruins
On June 26, 2023, as an impending RFA, Mitchell was traded by the Blackhawks to the Boston Bruins with Alec Regula in exchange for Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, reuniting him with his head coach from Denver, Jim Montgomery. Mitchell signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Bruins on July 10, 2023, avoiding arbitration.

Mitchell would win the seventh defensemen job out of training camp for the Bruins, and would start the season on the NHL roster. Mitchell would score his first point as a Bruin with an assist on a goal by Matt Poitras against the Anaheim Ducks on October 22, 2023. Mitchell was placed on waivers on October 25, but cleared. Mitchell was quickly called back up a few days later, after playing a few games for the Bruins AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. However, on December 29, 2023, Mitchell was once again put on waivers, and once again cleared. Mitchell would spend the rest of the regular season playing for Providence, helping them to a playoff berth in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs. In the regular season for Providence, Mitchell provided solid offensive output, scoring six goals and 18 assists in 42 games. In the playoffs, this would continue, as he would score two goals and two assists in four games in Providence's first round series against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Unfortunately, this would not be enough to overcome the Wolf Pack, as the Bruins were eliminated in four games.

As a pending free agent, Mitchell opted to continue his tenure with the Bruins by signing a one-year, two-way contract extension on June 23, 2024.