Mitch Love back in the fold

Published 4:58 pm Friday, August 12, 2011

Greetings once again from Everett Memorial Stadium, where in the process of preparing for tonight’s AquaSox game the Tips threw me a curveball making it official that former captain Mitch Love is returning to the fold. Love is joining Everett’s coaching staff and will have joint duties as both an assistant coach and the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

The Tips also announced the hiring of Taylor Dakers as the team’s new goaltending coach. Dakers is also a familiar name, having played for Kootenay from 2003-07.

Love, of course, is a cult figure in Everett from his time as a player in 2003-05. He sort of became the face of the franchise during its improbable run to the Western Conference title as an expansion team in 2003-04, largely because of his willingness to drop the gloves and his intensity on the ice. He then captained the team in 2004-05, when the Tips scored their epic first-round playoff upset of Portland.

Love has remained a presence locally. The past six seasons he played professionally in the minors in six different cities, but he made his home here and he currently lives in Mill Creek. During the offseasons he’s been involved with the local hockey scene, holding camps for kids and working out at the Silvertips’ facilities. If there were Everett players in town during the offseason Love would put them through the paces in the gym, so in a sense he already has some experience with the strength and conditioning aspect of his new job.

Speaking with Love, he’s been waiting for this moment. He always wanted to get into coaching and he always wanted to start his coaching career with the Tips. So he’s thrilled with getting this opportunity.

Tips general manager Doug Soetaert emphasized, however, that Love wasn’t hired because he’s a former Everett captain, but because he has something to contribute and because he showed the ability to work with new head coach Mark Ferner. Most importantly, Love has the ability to direct Everett’s strength and conditioning, something the Tips were looking to upgrade even when Craig Hartsburg was still the head coach.

Personally, I really look forward to having Mitch around. I’ve always enjoyed chatting with him, whether it was for a story or just in an informal setting. I feel like this officially makes me a WHL veteran, now that I have my first Everett player who I covered cycle back through the organization as a coach.

And I’m certain this will make the fans happy.