Mitch Love has reached the NHL.
The Everett Silvertips legend has climbed onto hockey’s highest stage as he was hired by the NHL’s Washington Capitals as an assistant coach, the team announced Thursday. Love, who spent the past two seasons as the head coach of the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, will be in charge of the Capitals’ defense under Spencer Carbery, who was named Washington’s head coach last month after the organization parted ways with Peter Laviolette.
Love, 39, is perhaps the most popular figure in Silvertips franchise history. The Quesnel, B.C., native was the Silvertips’ original fan favorite when he was a defenseman on Everett’s inaugural team in 2003-04. He captained the team in 2004-05 and eventually had his No. 2 retired by the team. Then after a six-year professional career he returned to the Tips, serving as an assistant coach from 2011-18.
Since leaving the Tips in 2018 Love has had a highly-successful career as a head coach. He coached the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades from 2018-21, compiling a 95-44-12-4 record over three seasons. In 2021 he was hired by the Flames to coach their AHL affiliate in Stockton, California, winning the league’s Coach of the Year award in his first season. He repeated as AHL Coach of the Year last season after the Flames moved their AHL team to Calgary, and overall his AHL record was 96-33-8-3 with two Pacific Division championships.
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