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75 Mitch McLain (goal)

ADDING TOOLS TO THE TOOLBOX: MITCH MCLAIN’S FIRST SEASON WITH THE KNIGHTS

Mitch McLain, now in his seventh full AHL season, has eight points (3G, 5A) in his last 12 games. He has the fourth-most points and the fifth-most goals on the Silver Knights’ roster, which has earned him both power play and penalty kill time this season. And with a fighting major on Monday, he still brings the tough edge he’s been known for throughout his career. 

What’s working well for McLain over his recent stretch of play?  

“I think it comes down to my details and my ability to add tools to my toolbox as I’ve gone through pro seasons,” he said. “I’ve found a way to make it in the league, found a way to stick in the league, and then from there just found a way to keep developing my game so I can bring more each season. That’s something I’m really proud of in my career so far, and something I want to keep doing along the way. I’m getting a good opportunity here to play special teams because of it.” 

McLain’s teammates might add a few more reasons to that list: tough to play against, strong mentor, and resilient. His linemate Kai Uchacz, among other first year players, gives credit to McLain’s experience and skill in helping find their game. 

“You’re not going to last long in this league if you don’t love that adversity and that grind,” McLain said. “So for me, it’s kind of my job to help those guys through it and help them feel comfortable in their first season. Especially guys in a similar situation to me, who came in at tryout, earned an AHL deal, and then are seeing some success as a rookie. Hopefully these guys get to play for a long time.” 

“And I think when I’m playing hard and making life tough for our opponents, I’m just always finding ways to contribute,” he added. “If I’m not being that guy, I’m not going to find that offensive output that I want. That’s just a no matter what for me: be hard to play against, go to the hard areas, that’s where I’m going to find success. That’s what I learned growing up and that’s just who I am and my identity as a player. Even on days where I don’t feel great, that’s what I lean back on. I want to share that.” 

McLain attributes a lot of that mindset and his strengths to the community-focused hockey that he grew up playing in his home state of Minnesota. He represented Brainerd High for three seasons, totaling 144 points (80G, 64A) in 75 games, marking the start of his professional hockey journey. 

It’s a community focus that he believes benefits every player in the system, no matter how far their career takes them. 

“I think Minnesota’s very lucky where they’ve kind of wrapped their arms around hockey as their sport,” McLain said. “The fact that every town has a hockey team or a youth program where kids can filter into the high school program makes it more intimate and accessible. People want to play with their buddies rather than driving two hours for practice and having to pay the price financially for travel. I think Minnesota has found  a niche with that. It’s a hard thing to do, obviously. I’d like to see more opportunities for city teams instead of the big AAA programs that you have to try out for. More community hockey, even if that’s just for Bantam.”  

“I think it’s important that I played a bunch of sports growing up and played three sports in high school. Some of my best friends are guys I went to the outdoor rink with all the time. Every day after school, it was always ‘let’s go to the outdoor rink.’ I think that culture really helped my love of the game. I was very lucky in that regard and very lucky that I came from that community. It made me who I am as a player.” 

McLain takes that community support seriously, and always has advice and encouragement for the youth hockey players who attend Silver Knights games and practices in Henderson. For McLain, the most important pieces of advice remain the same from PeeWee hockey to the AHL.  

“It’s the same things at the heart of it no matter where you are,” he said. “Be where your skates are, enjoy what you’re doing, be a good teammate. Take coaching the right way. Love doing it.” 

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