Without further ado, here it is....
Mitch Love
Position: LW
Birth date: Jun 15, 1984
From: Quesnel, BC; Canada
Height: 6' 0"
Weight: 200lbs
Noteworthy teams: Lowel Lock Monsters, Albany River Rats, Lake Erie Monsters, Houston Aeros (AHL), Preseason with the Colorado Avalanche
Alright everyone, a special thanks to Mitch Love for being the first pro to get back to me. It's pretty cool of him to take the time to talk to someone like me when i'm not a reporter or anything.
Describe yourself as a hockey player to those fans that may not know you?
A hard nosed, hard working, honest player.
Ok, so according to Hockeyfights.com and hockeydb.com, you have a combined 73 fights in just 182 games (at the time of this interview, I’m sure you’ll add to it by the time I get it back lol) in the last three seasons in the A. First off, wow haha. How do you do it?? Do you enjoy fighting or do it just out of necessity?
I wouldn’t say I enjoy it…because it’s a tough job. But I have been doing it for many years and it seems to be my role on teams I play for.
What player did you model yourself after growing up and why? What about now?
Scott Stevens…he was a great hard working leader who was respected by his team mates.
Are you married and do you have any kids? If so how do they feel about you dropping the mitts? (If not, how do your parents feel about it?)
My girlfriend and my family don’t exactly like it. You never want to see someone you love fighting. But they also know that it is part of my job.
What has been the biggest ass kicking you’ve been on the wrong end of?
In junior I fought Derek Boogaard
I see on your list in the last three seasons alone, you’ve dropped the mitts four times with Adam Keefe and Louis Robitaille. Is this just friendly competition or a personal rivalry?
Probably more of a personal rivalry
You got one preseason game in the show and dropped the mitts with Steve Ott. What was that whole experience like?
Playing in my first ever NHL exhibition game….it was a pretty surreal moment in my carreer.
What kind of music do you listen to outside of hockey? And have you been to any good concerts lately?
I listen to just about everything…it depends on my mood. A few great concerts I have been to lately were Tom Petty, ACDC and Nickelback.
Did you fight lots outside of hockey when you were younger?
Nope
Have you ever bumped into a guy from an opposing team at a bar after a game that you had a beef with earlier in the game? I don’t mean where you guys buy each other a beer and its water under the bridge, but where one of you had to leave to stop yourselves from having things escalate?
Yeah ive run into some…but everything stays on the ice.
How do fans of other teams treat you outside of the rink?
For the most part fans are pretty respectful of me and what I do.
Do you ever get sick of fighting?
Yeah, its tough on the body.
If you weren’t playing hockey, what would you be doing career wise?
Something to do with coaching.
What are your plans for after your career in hockey?
Whatever job opportunity presents itself, definitely something that I can interact with people on a daily basis.
What is your favourite all time movie?
Major League
Have you seen any really good movies lately?
Im not really a movie guy
Who was your favourite WWE wrestler growing up?
Undertaker
What is your favourite TV show?
Baseball Tonight
Who is your favourite late night talk show host?
Jay Leno
What’s your opinion on Don Cherry?
He speaks his mind….thats his job.
What’s one thing around the house that you just can’t live without?
My girlfriend, dog, and the internet.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, my girlfriend and I just got a yorkie puppy named Lexi in December.
Which is your favourite city to party in?
Philly is pretty cool
Who gets more love from female fans (pucks)? Skilled players or tough guys?
Tough guys for sure.
Do you have any tattoos?
Yes, 7 of them.
What is your favourite vacation spot? Do you have any planned coming up?
Lake Chelan, WA. This summer I am going to Maui, HI and Chelan.
Are you a big UFC fan? If you could trade places with one UFC fighter, who would it be and why?
Yeah I like UFC..I would probably trade places with Randy Couture.
Have you ever had a finesse players specifically ask you to take care of business out on the ice because someone was pissing them off?
Yes
Who was your favourite tough guy/team growing up?
Favorite tough guy was Bob Probert.
What is the most memorable fight you remember seeing growing up?
Any fight with Bob Probert vs. Wendel Clark.
Who would you take to be your sidekick, Brashear, Laraque or Boogaard? (Or even someone else)
Probably George Laraque
Do you have any best friends that play on opposing teams? If so, what’s it like playing against them?
Ive got friends that I have played with on a lot of opposing teams. We go hard on the ice but afterwards we are all friends still.
Who is one guy coming up in the A that we should keep our eyes out for?
There are always young talented kids coming up each year that are tough.
And finally, how close is Mitch Love to playing in the NHL?
You never know when that call will come.
Ok, so once again I just want to say thanks to Mitch Love, who was more than willing to let me ask him some questions about what he does for a living as well as his personal life.
Hopefully I can get more done soon as the playoffs start to wind down for more and more guys.
