Former Toronto Maple Leafs Prospect Dale Mitchell Retires

At the age of 31, Dale Mitchell has decided to retire from the game of hockey. Mitchell was a longtime prospect for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After years of playing professionally, including playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, Dale Mitchell has decided that his time on the ice has come to an end. Most recently, playing for the Odense Bulldogs in Denmark, Mitchell retires after a long and accomplished career.

Though he never managed to get into a game for the Leafs in the NHL, Mitchell appeared to be a strong prospect for the organization.

The right-winger was drafted in the third round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 74th overall. Mitchell was the Leafs first pick in what turned out to be yet another terrible draft for the club.  Along with Mitchell, the Leafs also selected Matt Frattin, Ben Winnett, Juraj Mikus, Chris DiDomenico, and Carl Gunnursson.

Toronto Maple Leafs Former Prospect

Mitchell was impressive leading into the draft. Playing for the stacked Oshawa Generals team that featured John Tavares, Cal Clutterbuck, and Michael Del Zotto, Mitchell scored 43 goals and 37 assists in 67 games. He also picked up 81 minutes along with the 80 points that season.(stats and draft info from hockeydb.com).

Mitchell played parts three seasons for the Toronto Marlies and also managed to get into two games for their 2008 playoffs run. In that time, he played 60 regulation games and scored seven times and added nine assists.

Unable to crack the NHL, the two-time Memorial Cup champion took his talents to Europe. He played in Austria, Denmark, and Germany. Five of the eight seasons he played overseas were with the Bulldogs. He was a star with Odense and in the Metal Ligaen, the top league in Denmark. Michell led the league in scoring twice and even helped the Bulldogs capture a Danish Cup championship.

Unfortunately, Mitchell wasn’t able to break the Leafs streak of being unable to develop a star player that is drafted after the first round, a streak that continues to this day, and which, it is hoped, that recent second-round pick Nick Robertson could break.

In the end, Mitchell may not have made the National Hockey League, but nevertheless, being drafted to the NHL, playing in the AHL, and being able to play pro hockey into your thirties is a huge accomplishment that doesn’t really get recognized in the day-to-day world of professional sports.