Kings Sign Willie Mitchell to Two-Year Extension

Just one day after trading defenseman Jack Johnson to the Columbus Blue Jackets for center Jeff Carter, the Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Willie Mitchell to a two-year contract worth $7 million. The deal will pay him $3.5 million per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 55 games so far this season, he has three goals and nine assists for 12 points and 32 penalty minutes. Definitely a good move for the Kings, as Mitchell is a solid shutdown defenseman. He has good size, plays with lots of grit, and has plenty of leadership skills. He should continue to be an excellent fit on the Kings' blueline for the next two seasons.

Kings Sign Willie Mitchell to Two-Year Contract

The Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have signed defenseman Willie Mitchell to a two-year contract worth $7 million. The deal averages out to $3.5 million per season. In 48 games last season with the Vancouver Canucks, he had four goals and eight assists for 12 points and 48 penalty minutes. He missed the last 34 games of the 2009-10 season and all 12 of Vancouver's playoff games after suffering a concussion on January 16 after being checked into the end boards by Evgeni Malkin in a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Not a bad signing for the Kings, as Mitchell has excellent defensive skill on the blueline. He also plays with lots of grit and toughness and is a great shutdown defenseman. Also, his leadership skills will be invaluable to the relatively young Kings' roster.

Canucks Name Luongo Team Captain

The Vancouver Canucks announced on Tuesday that have named goaltender Roberto Luongo as the team captain. Willie Mitchell, Mattias Ohlund, and Ryan Kesler were named the alternate captains on Tuesday as well. League rules state that a goaltender can be named team captain, but is not allowed to wear the "C" on his jersey. Mitchell will be the player designated to deal with the officials on a nightly basis, while Ohlund will deal with ceremonial aspects of the game, such as faceoffs. According to tsn.ca, only six goaltenders have served as team captains in NHL history, with Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens being the last to do so during the 1947-48 season. The NHL passed a rule during the 1948-49 season that prohibited goaltenders from being able to act as team captains after Durnan repeatedly came out of his crease to argue with officials. Naming Luongo as team captain is a highly unusual move by the Canucks, as he cannot deal with the officials during a game. If Mitchell is going to be dealing with the officials in every game, then it would have made more sense to name him the team captain.