Rochester native Jones finding role with stacked Whalers
By Matt Mackinder –
When Mitch Jones signed with the Plymouth Whalers just before Christmas, he knew he would be going to an organization where he could develop and learn the pro-style game – even if it meant not being able to go fishing anymore at his favorite spots near his home in Rochester.
Such are the sacrifices one makes to climb the rungs on the hockey ladder and play in the Ontario Hockey League at a young age.
“My time in Plymouth has been great,” said the 17-year-old Jones. “I don’t think I could look back and ever wish I had ever gone a different route. The family I am living with is great and I haven’t felt out of place since I came here. The players are really good to me and I do miss my family and the fishing, but it’s good knowing they’re both only an hour away from Plymouth.”
A veteran of the Michigan youth hockey scene, Jones played for every major Detroit-area AAA organization with the exception of Victory Honda. He was skating with the Compuware U-18 team this year and also played three games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League earlier this season.
Jones, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound defenseman, said playing at a high level during his minor hockey days helped shape him into the player he is today.
“My dad (Brad) was my (assistant) coach for two seasons with Belle Tire (Jeff Torolski was the head coach),” said Jones. “My dad would always get on me and wouldn’t ever take any crap from me. He would sit me if I had an attitude with him and would always tell me what I was doing wrong. Torolski would always give me positive feedback to keep me going and when I had a question, he was always there to listen and help me.
“My coach this year with Compuware, Joe Pomaranski, was probably the best coach a player playing midget hockey could ask for. When I got called up to the USHL and then when I signed with the Whalers, he was really understanding and just wanted the best for me.”
With the Whalers, Jones gets the same vibe from head coach Mike Vellucci.
“Coach Vellucci is a great coach,” said Jones. “He knows what he is talking about and knows how to pick a great team, considering they won the OHL championship and got to the Memorial Cup in 2007. He knows how to develop players and knows how to move them to the next level. He is always willing to talk and tell you your mistakes and how to fix them. He really wants to help develop you into a better hockey player.”
Brad Jones played four years at the University of Michigan, so there was that kind of pull that Mitch had at an early age – follow in his dad’s footsteps and try the college game or branch out and see what the OHL could offer. Brad was also drafted by Winnipeg in 1984 and played in the NHL with Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
“It was definitely a tough decision, but while deciding which route I wanted to go, there were some tough deciding factors that kind of shaped my decision-making process,” Jones explained. “I wanted to be close to home and be able to see my family a lot. I knew moving away was part of hockey, but I believe seeing your family quite a bit is also very important. I had to choose whether to move to Iowa and play in Des Moines or move to Plymouth and play for the Whalers. I didn’t like how in college you would only play 32 games and I also didn’t want to live the so-called ‘college life.’ I wanted to focus specifically on hockey and take a few college classes locally. All in all, the decision I want to say was pretty easy.
“I knew quite a bit about college hockey, considering both of my parents went to Michigan. They would always tell me to choose what my heart was telling me, as long as I went to college and got my education, because hockey doesn’t last forever. My dad never minded the OHL because he knew it was good hockey and felt as long as I got my schooling, it was the right way to go.”
Drafted by Plymouth in the 11th round last May, Jones admitted that even if the Whalers weren’t the franchise that selected him that he would still have given the OHL a long look.
“Draft day last May was very exciting for me,” said Jones. “I’d been waiting for that day to come ever since the end of the season with Honeybaked. Just to be drafted is a great feeling, but being drafted to a local team couldn’t have gotten any better. I had talked to a few OHL teams prior to the draft, but I had been in contact a lot with Plymouth throughout last season, so I had somewhat of a clear idea they were really interested in me, which was really exciting.
“I would have for sure chosen the OHL if any other team would have drafted me. It all depends on what the team needs and wants and I personally believe Plymouth was the best team to get drafted to. They have put a lot of guys into the NHL, which is my ultimate dream. They have a couple defensemen that are leaving next year, which puts me in a good spot to compete and try to take their spots and hopefully showcase myself for the (2013 NHL) draft.”
And if Jones can reel in a couple decent-sized fish this summer, even better.