William Reid Mitchell (Willie), born April 23rd, 1977 and raised in Port McNeil British Columbia, is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who has not officially retired. Willie is known primarily as a physical defensive defenseman Mitchell played Junior A in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Kelowna Spartans and Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Melfort Mustangs before joining the college ranks with the Clarkson Knights of ECAC Hockey league in 1997/98, winning an ECAC championship with Clarkson in 1999, while also earning playoff MVP and ECAC First Team All-Star honours.

Selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft, he played two seasons with the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League (AHL) while earning limited playing time with the Devils over two seasons. In 2001, Mitchell was traded to the Minnesota Wild where he played four seasons before a brief stint with the Dallas Stars. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks in the 2006 off-season and was named the team’s top defenseman twice, in 2008 and 2009. After four seasons in Vancouver, Mitchell signed with the Los Angeles Kings in August 2010. While with Los Angeles, Mitchell won two Stanley Cups (2012 and 2014) before signing with the Florida Panthers in the 2014 off-season.

Internationally he has represented Team Canada once at the 2004 World Championships capturing a gold medal.

Mitchell, wife Megan, and their newborn son reside in the Vancouver area of Yale Town returning to his beloved hometown of Port McNeil during the summer.