Blackhawks Player Has Had Enough and Calls Out The Team's Head Coach!

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Sam Walker
December 29, 2022 (3:38 PM)

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One of the most promising Blackhawks Defensemen of the future, 23-year old Ian Mitchell, has been healthy scratched without reasoning, and has stepped up and spoken out about it as of late.

This information/quotations/Q&A is brought to you by Mark Lazerus of the Athletic, and his work can be found by clicking the highlighted text below:

Click here to view Mark Lazerus' article, and more

Mark Lazerus: I asked, is it tough to get into any kind of rhythm and show the Blackhawks what he's capable of when he keeps getting yanked out of the lineup?

Answer:

"Yeah," he said after being the last one off the ice at Wednesday's practice at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. "Very much so. Especially when you think that you're playing well and doing everything that you can."

He was scratched for the Blackhawks last game against the Carolina Hurricanes, where they were shutout and the defense gave up a whopping 49 shots against.

Mitchell then revealed he got zero explanation as to why he was scratched by Luke Richardson, which is quite sad to hear as the current Blackhawks rebuild evolves around players like Mitchell, and explanations are needed for improvement.

''I didn't get an explanation, no," he said. "I can just control what I can control when I'm in the lineup, and continue to play the way I have, because I really do feel I've played well. That's all I can do, I guess. It's definitely frustrating. Everyone wants to play."

"I've only been a pro for less than two years total time," Mitchell said. "It's definitely been a different start to my career, for sure. Through all this, though, I still know that I'm capable and I know I can be a top-four defenseman in this league. It's just about getting that opportunity to show it every night."

"I did feel I was ready at the time, and maybe in a different system or a different situation, maybe it would have worked out better to start," he said. "But the path I've taken has made me a better player. I thought last year was great for me. I got to play lots, and I really thought I had taken a step to play the same way at this level. I think I've been playing well. I'm just not getting the opportunity to show it every night."

Luke Richardson decided to answer some questions on the situation, and here is what he had to say:

Lazerus: Asked if he'd consider sitting a veteran in favor of someone like Mitchell, Richardson demurred.

"I haven't even thought about that too far," he said. "I'm sure management maybe thinks about that. And that probably comes into play at the trade deadline, too.
You might lose people and not have to make a decision like that. But usually, someone is going to get banged up blocking a shot or a sore groin or back or something like that. There's going to be opportunity for everybody here to get playing time, and maybe even from Rockford at times. Because we want to see
people."

Lazerus: ''When will he know he's no longer a prospect, no longer a tweener, ut an entrenched NHLer?''

"When I'm getting those minutes every night, and that role, where the coaches have that trust in me, or show that they believe that I can play," Mitchell said. "I'm not sure necessarily what that's going to take, because I feel I'm a capable NHL player currently. I'm just going to continue to play hard and do what I can, because a lot of things don't necessarily always make sense to a player. It's all out of my control.
If I could change it, I would, for sure."